s
orders to her. "I insist on this!" Was it incumbent on her to comply
with his insistings?

Of course she showed the letter to her aunt, whose advice resulted
in this--that it would be better that she should pocket the affront
silently if she were not prepared to give up the engagement
altogether. If she were so prepared, the letter doubtless would give
her the opportunity.

And then Mr. Harcourt came to her while her anger was yet at the
hottest. His manner was so kind, his temper so sweet, his attention
so obliging, that she could not but be glad to see him. If George
loved her, if he wished to guide her, wished to persuade her, why was
not he at her right hand? Mr. Harcourt was there instead. It did not
bore him, multifold as his duties were, to be near her.

Then she committed the first great fault of which in this history she
will be shown as being guilty. She showed her lover's letter to Mr.
Harcourt. Of course this was not done without some previous converse;
till he had found out that she was wretched, and inquired as to
her wretchedness; till she had owned that she was ill with sorrow,
beside herself, and perplexed in the extreme. Then at last, saying to
herself that she cared not now to obey Mr. Bertram, she showed the
letter to Mr. Harcourt.

"It is ungenerous," said Harcourt.

"It is ungentlemanlike," said Caroline. "But it was written in
passion, and I shall not notice it." And so she and Miss Baker went
back again to Littlebath.

It was September before Bertram returned, and then Sir Lionel came
with him. We have not space to tell much of what had passed between
the father and the son; but they reached London apparently on good
terms with each other, and Sir Lionel settled himself in a bedroom
near to his son's chambers, and near also to his own club. There was,
however, this great ground of disagreement between them. Sir Lionel
was very anxious that his son should borrow money from Mr. Bertram,
and George very resolutely declined to do so. It was now clear enough
to Sir Lionel that his son could not show his filial disposition
by advancing on his own behalf much money to his father, as he was
himself by no means in affluent circumstances.

He went down to Littlebath, and took his father with him. The meeting
between the lovers was again unloverlike; but nothing could be more
affectionate than Sir Lionel. He took Caroline in his arms and kissed
her, called her his dear daughter, and praised her