n Lady Clavering in to dinner, and they two did
manage to carry on between them some conversation respecting the parish
affairs. Lady Clavering was not active among the poor--nor was the
rector himself, and perhaps neither of them knew how little the other
did; but they could talk Clavering talk, and the parson was willing to
take for granted his neighbor's good will to make herself agreeable. But
Mrs. Clavering, who sat between Sir Hugh and Archie, had a very bad time
of it. Sir Hugh spoke to her once during the dinner, saying that he
hoped she was satisfied with her daughter's marriage; but even this he
said in a tone that seemed to imply that any such satisfaction must rest
on very poor grounds. "Thoroughly satisfied," said Mrs. Clavering,
drawing herself up and looking very unlike the usual Mrs. Clavering of
the rectory. After that there was no further conversation between her
and Sir Hugh. "The worst of him to me is always this," she said that
evening to her husband, "that he puts me so much out of conceit with
myself. If I were with him long I should begin to find myself the most
disagreeable woman in England!" "Then pray don't be with him long," said
the rector.

But Archie made conversation throughout dinner, and added greatly to
Mrs. Clavering's troubles by doing so. There was nothing in common
between them, but still Archie went on laboriously with his work. It was
a duty which he recognized, and at which he would work hard. When he had
used up Mary's marriage, a subject which he economized carefully, so
that he brought it down to the roast saddle of mutton, he began upon
Harry's match. When was it to be? Where were they to live? Was there any
money? What manner of people were the Burtons? Perhaps he might get over
it? This he whispered very lowly, and it was the question next in
sequence to that about the money. When, in answer to this, Mrs.
Clavering with considerable energy declared that anything of that kind
would be a misfortune of which there seemed to be no chance whatever, he
recovered himself as he thought very skilfully. "Oh, yes; of course;
that's just what I meant; a doosed nice girl I think her; a doosed nice
girl, all round." Archie's questions were very laborious to his
fellow-laborer in the conversation, because he never allowed one of them
to pass without an answer. He always recognized the fact that he was
working hard on behalf of society, and, as he used to say himself that
he had no idea o