in an
uncomfortable fashion, not saying much to each other for the first ten
minutes after the other Claverings were gone. Archie was in some degree
afraid of his brother, and never offered to make any bets with him. Hugh
had once put a stop to this altogether. "Archie," he had said, "pray
understand that there is no money to be made out of me, at any rate not
by you. If you lost money to me, you wouldn't think it necessary to pay;
and I certainly shall lose none to you." The habit of proposing to bet
had become with Archie so much a matter of course, that he did not
generally intend any real speculation by his offers; but with his
brother he had dropped even the habit. And he seldom began any
conversation with Hugh unless he had some point to gain--an advance of
money to ask, or some favor to beg in the way of shooting, or the loan
of a horse. On such occasions he would commence the negotiation with his
usual diplomacy, not knowing any other mode of expressing his wishes;
but he was aware that his brother would always detect his manoeuvres,
and expose them before he had got through his first preface: and,
therefore, as I have said, he was afraid of Hugh.

"I don't know what's come to my uncle of late," said Hugh, after a
while. "I think I shall have to drop them at the rectory altogether."

"He never had much to say for himself."

"But he has a mode of expressing himself without speaking, which I do
not choose to put up with at my table. The fact is they are going to the
mischief at the rectory. His eldest girl has just married a curate."

"Fielding has got a living."

"It's something very small then, and I suppose Fanny will marry that
prig they have here. My uncle himself never does any of his own work,
and now Harry is going to make a fool of himself. I used to think he
would fall on his legs."

"He is a clever fellow."

"Then why is he such a fool as to marry such a girl as this, without
money, good looks, or breeding? It's well for you he is such a fool, or
else you wouldn't have a chance."

"I don't see that at all," said Archie.

"Julia always had a sneaking fondness for Harry, and if he had waited
would have taken him now. She was very near making a fool of herself
with him once, before Lord Ongar turned up."

To this Archie said nothing, but he changed color, and it may almost be
said of him that he blushed. Why he was affected in so singular a manner
by his brother's words will be best explained