could
not bring herself to yield in this matter,--or, at least, not to
yield with grace. She felt that the truth and wisdom all lay on her
side in the argument, though she knew that she had lacked words in
which to carry it on. She declared to herself that she was not at all
inclined to despise anybody for living in a small cottage, or for
being poor. She would have been delighted to be very civil to Mrs.
Ray herself, and could have patronized Rachel quite as kindly, though
perhaps not so graciously, as Mrs. Cornbury had done. But it was a
different thing when her son came to think of making this young woman
his wife! Old Mrs. Cornbury would have been very sorry to see either
of her sons make such an alliance. When anything so serious as
marriage was to be considered, it was only proper to remember that
Mrs. Ray lived in a cottage, and that farmer Sturt was her friend and
neighbour. But to all this prudence and wisdom Luke would not listen
at all, and at last Mrs. Rowan left him in dudgeon. Foolish and hasty
as he was, he could, as she felt, talk better than she could; and
therefore she retreated, feeling that she had been worsted. "I have
done my duty," said she, going away. "I have warned you. Of course
you are your own master and can do as you please." Then she left him,
refusing his escort, and in the last fading light of the long summer
evening, made her way back to the brewery.

Luke's first impulse was to start off instantly to the cottage, and
settle the matter out of hand; but before he had taken up his hat
for this purpose he remembered that he could not very well call at
Bragg's End on such a mission at eleven o'clock at night; so he threw
himself back on the hotel sofa, and gave vent to his feelings against
the Tappitt family. He would make them understand that they were not
going to master him. He had come down there disposed to do them all
manner of kindness,--to the extent even of greatly improving their
fortunes by improving the brewing business,--and they had taken
upon themselves to treat him as though he were a dependent. He did
not tell himself that a plot had been made to catch him for one of
the girls; but he accused them of jealousy, meanness, selfishness,
and all those sins and abominations by which such a plot would be
engendered. When, about an hour afterwards, he took himself off to
bed, he was full of wrath, and determined to display his wrath early
on the morrow. As he prayed for forgivene