her, "I suppose we shall do no good by
opposing it."

"Would you wish to oppose it, mamma?" said Harry.

"No, my dear. I think you should judge for yourself."

"You see I could have no scope in the church for that sort of ambition
which would satisfy me. Look at such men as Locke, and Stephenson, and
Brassey. They are the men who seem to me to do most in the world. They
were all self-educated, but surely a man can't have a worse chance
because he has learned something. Look at old Beilby with a seat in
Parliament, and a property worth two or three hundred thousand pounds!
When he was my age he had nothing but his weekly wages."

"I don't know whether Mr. Beilby is a very happy man or a very good
man," said Mary.

"I don't know, either," said Harry; "but I do know that he has thrown a
single arch over a wider span of water than ever was done before, and
that ought to make him happy." After saying this in a tone of high
authority, befitting his dignity as a fellow of his college, Harry
Clavering went out, leaving his mother and sisters to discuss the
subject, which to two of them was all-important. As to Mary, she had
hopes of her own, vested in the clerical concerns of a neighboring
parish.

Chapter III

Lord Ongar

On the next morning Harry Clavering rode over to Stratton, thinking much
of his misery as he went. It was all very well for him, in the presence
of his own family to talk of his profession as the one subject which was
to him of any importance; but he knew very well himself that he was only
beguiling them in doing so. This question of a profession was, after
all, but dead leaves to him--to him who had a canker at his heart, a
perpetual thorn in his bosom, a misery within him which no profession
could mitigate! Those dear ones at home guessed nothing of this, and he
would take care that they should guess nothing. Why should they have the
pain of knowing that he had been made wretched forever by blighted
hopes? His mother, indeed, had suspected something in those sweet days
of his roaming with Julia through the park. She had once or twice said a
word to warn him. But of the very truth of his deep love--so he told
himself--she had been happily ignorant. Let her be ignorant. Why should
he make his mother unhappy? As these thoughts passed through his mind, I
think that he revelled in his wretchedness, and made much to himself of
his misery. He sucked in his sorrow greedily, and was somewhat prou