m he could not give his daughter even for the sake of the
family, without abandoning his duty to his child. At this moment,
while he was considering George's letter, it was quite clear to him
that George should not be his son-in-law; and yet the fact that the
property and the title might be brought together was not absent from
his mind when he gave his final assent. "I don't suppose she cares
for him," he said to his wife.

"She's not in love with him, if you mean that."

"What else should I mean?" he said, crossly.

"She may learn to be in love with him."

"She had better not. She must be told. He may come for a week. I
won't have him here for longer. Write to him and say that we shall be
happy to have him from the second to the ninth. Emily must be told
that I disapprove of him, but that I can't avoid opening my house to
him."

These were the most severe words he had ever spoken about Cousin
George, but then the occasion had become very critical. Lady
Elizabeth's reply was as follows:--

MY DEAR COUSIN GEORGE,--Sir Harry and I will be very happy
to have you on the second, as you propose, and hope you
will stay till the eleventh.

Yours sincerely,

ELIZABETH HOTSPUR.

He was to come on a Saturday, but she did not like to tell him to go
on a Saturday, because of the following day. Where could the poor
fellow be on the Sunday? She therefore stretched her invitation for
two days beyond the period sanctioned by Sir Harry.

"It's not very gracious," said George, as he showed the note to Lady
Altringham.

"I don't like it the less on that account. It shows that they're
afraid about her, and they wouldn't be afraid without cause."

"There is not much of that, I fancy."

"They oughtn't to have a chance against you,--not if you play your
game well. Even in ordinary cases the fathers and mothers are beaten
by the lovers nine times out of ten. It is only when the men are
oafs and louts that they are driven off. But with you, with your
cousinship, and half-heirship, and all your practice, and the family
likeness, and the rest of it, if you only take a little trouble--"

"I'll take any amount of trouble."

"No, you won't. You'll deny yourself nothing, and go through no
ordeal that is disagreeable to you. I don't suppose your things are
a bit better arranged in London than they were in the spring." She
looked at him as though waiting for an answer, but he was silent.
"It's too late for anythin