he other there
can be no doubt. Then, his gifts of fortune were already his own, and
for ought that Miss Furnival knew, might be equal to any that would
ever appertain to the other gentleman. That Lady Staveley should
think her swan better looking than Lady Mason's goose was very
natural; but then Lady Mason would no doubt have regarded the two
birds in an exactly opposite light. It is only fair to conceive that
Miss Furnival was a better judge than either of them.

On the evening before his departure the whole party had been playing
commerce; for the rule of the house during these holidays was this,
that all the amusements brought into vogue were to be adapted to the
children. If the grown-up people could adapt themselves to them, so
much the better for them; if not, so much the worse; they must in
such case provide for themselves. On the whole, the grown-up people
seemed to live nearly as jovial a life as did the children. Whether
the judge himself was specially fond of commerce I cannot say; but he
persisted in putting in the whole pool, and played through the entire
game, rigidly fighting for the same pool on behalf of a very small
grandchild, who sat during the whole time on his knee. There are
those who call cards the devil's books, but we will presume that the
judge was of a different way of thinking.

On this special evening Sophia had been sitting next to Augustus,--a
young man can always arrange these matters in his own house,--but had
nevertheless lost all her lives early in the game. "I will not have
any cheating to-night," she had said to her neighbour; "I will take
my chance, and if I die, I die. One can die but once." And so she
had died, three times indeed instead of once only, and had left the
table. Lucius Mason also had died. He generally did die the first,
having no aptitude for a collection of kings or aces, and so they two
came together over the fire in the second drawing-room, far away from
the card-players. There was nothing at all remarkable in this, as Mr.
Furnival and one or two others who did not play commerce were also
there; but nevertheless they were separated from those of the party
who were most inclined to criticise their conduct.

"So you are leaving to-morrow, Mr. Mason," said Sophia.

"Yes. I go home to-morrow after breakfast; to my own house, where for
some weeks to come I shall be absolutely alone."

"Your mother is staying at The Cleeve, I think."

"Yes,--and intends remain