CHAPTER LXXXI.

MR. GLASCOCK IS MASTER.

[Illustration]

Caroline Spalding, when she received Nora's letter, was not disposed
to give much weight to it. She declared to herself that the girl's
unpremeditated expression of opinion was worth more than her studied
words. But she was not the less grateful or the less loving towards
her new friend. She thought how nice it would be to have Nora at that
splendid abode in England of which she had heard so much,--but she
thought also that in that splendid abode she herself ought never to
have part or share. If it were the case that this were an unfitting
match, it was clearly her duty to decide that there should be no
marriage. Nora had been quite right in bidding her speak to Mr.
Glascock himself, and to Mr. Glascock she would go. But it was very
difficult for her to determine on the manner in which she would
discuss the subject with him. She thought that she could be firm if
her mind were once made up. She believed that perhaps she was by
nature more firm than he. In all their intercourse together he had
ever yielded to her; and though she had been always pleased and
grateful, there had grown upon her an idea that he was perhaps too
easy,--that he was a man as to whom it was necessary that they who
loved him should see that he was not led away by weakness into folly.
But she would want to learn something from him before her decision
was finally reached, and in this she foresaw a great difficulty.
In her trouble she went to her usual counsellor,--the Republican
Browning. In such an emergency she could hardly have done worse.
"Wally," she said, "we talk about England, and Italy, and France,
as though we knew all about them; but how hard it is to realise the
difference between one's own country and others."

"We can at least learn a great deal that is satisfactory," said
Wallachia. "About one out of every five Italians can read a book,
about two out of every five Englishmen can read a book. Out of every
five New Englanders four and four-fifths can read a book. I guess
that is knowing a good deal."

"I don't mean in statistics."

"I cannot conceive how you are to learn anything about any country
except by statistics. I have just discovered that the number of
illegitimate children--"

"Oh, Wally, I can't talk about that,--not now at least. What I cannot
realise is this,--what sort of a life it is that they will lead at
Monkhams."

"Plenty to eat and drink,