in jeopardy the annuity which had been promised
him; and at last he left the room.

Of Mr. Greenwood no one saw anything more that day, nor did Lord
Hampstead encounter him again before he returned to London. Hampstead
had arranged to stay at Trafford during the following day, and then
to return to London, again using the night mail train. But on the
next morning a new trouble fell upon him. He received his sister's
letter, and learned that George Roden had been with her at Hendon
Hall. He had certainly pledged himself that there should be no such
meeting, and had foolishly renewed this pledge only yesterday. When
he read the letter he was vexed, chiefly with himself. The arguments
which she had used as to Roden's coming, and also those by which
she had excused herself for receiving him, did seem to him to be
reasonable. When the man was going on such a journey it was natural
that he should wish to see the girl he loved; and natural that she
should wish to see him. And he was well aware that neither of them
had pledged themselves. It was he only who had given a pledge, and
that as to the conduct of others who had refused to support him in
it. Now his pledge had been broken, and he felt himself called upon
to tell his father of what had occurred. "After all that I told you
yesterday," he said, "George Roden and Fanny have met each other."
Then he attempted to make the best excuse he could for this breach of
the promise which he had made.

"What's the good?" said the Marquis. "They can't marry each other. I
wouldn't give her a shilling if she were to do such a thing without
my sanction." Hampstead knew very well that, in spite of this, his
father had made by his will ample provision for his sister, and that
it was very improbable that any alteration in this respect would be
made, let his sister's disobedience be what it might. But the Marquis
seemed hardly to be so much affected as he had expected by these
tidings. "Whatever you do," said the Marquis, "don't let her ladyship
know it. She would be sure to come down to me and say it was all my
fault; and then she would tell me what Mr. Greenwood thought about
it." The poor man did not know how little likely it was that she
would ever again throw Mr. Greenwood in his teeth.

Lord Hampstead had not as yet even seen his stepmother, but had
thought it no more than decent to send her word that he would wait
upon her before he left the house. All domestic troubles he knew to