and told himself that the
place would do very well. For the English character, in spite of the
pigheadedness of many Englishmen, he had--as he would have said
himself--much admiration, and he thought that the life of a country
gentleman, with a nice place of his own--with such a very nice place of
his own as was Ongar Park--and so very nice an income, would suit him
well in his declining years.

And he had certain advantages, certain aids toward his object, which had
come to him from circumstances; as, indeed, he had also certain
disadvantages. He knew the lady, which was in itself much. He knew much
of the lady's history, and had that cognizance of the saddest
circumstances of her life, which in itself creates an intimacy. It is
not necessary now to go back to those scenes which had disfigured the
last months of Lord Ongar's life, but the reader will understand that
what had then occurred gave the count a possible footing as a suitor.
And the reader will also understand the disadvantages which had at this
time already shown themselves in the lady's refusal to see the count.

It may be thought that Sophie's standing with Lady Ongar would be a
great advantage to her brother; but I doubt whether the brother trusted
either the honesty or the discretion of his sister. He would have been
willing to purchase such assistance as she might give--not in Archie's
pleasant way, with bank-notes hidden under his glove--but by
acknowledgments for services to be turned into solid remuneration when
the marriage should have taken place, had he not feared that Sophie
might communicate the fact of such acknowledgments to the other
lady--making her own bargain in doing so. He had calculated all this,
and had come to the conclusion that he had better make no direct
proposal to Sophie; and when Sophie made a direct proposal to him,
pointing out to him in glowing language all the fine things which such a
marriage would give him, he had hardly vouchsafed to her a word of
answer. "Very well," said Sophie to herself; "very well. Then we both
know what we are about."

Sophie herself would have kept Lady Ongar from marrying any one had she
been able. Not even a brother's gratitude would be so serviceable to her
as the generous kindness of a devoted friend. That she might be able
both to sell her services to a lover, and also to keep Julie from
marrying, was a lucky combination of circumstances which did not occur
to her till Archie came to her