s away half his time, and when he does come he'd better be away.
If he wants to marry that girl why doesn't he marry her and have done
with it?"

Now this was a matter upon which Lady Tringle had ideas of her own
which were becoming every day stronger. "I'm sure I should be very
sorry to see it," she said.

"Why should you be sorry? Isn't it the best thing a young man can do?
If he's set his heart that way all the world won't talk him off. I
thought all that was settled."

"You can't make the girl marry him."

"Is that it?" asked Sir Thomas, with a whistle. "You used to say she
was setting her cap at him."

"She is one of those girls you don't know what she would be at. She's
full of romance and nonsense, and isn't half as fond of telling the
truth as she ought to be. She made my life a burden to me while she
was with us, and I don't think she would be any better for Tom."

"But he's still determined."

"What's the use of that?" said Lady Tringle.

"Then he shall have her. I made him a promise and I'm not going to
give it up. I told him that if he was in earnest he should have her."

"You can't make a girl marry a young man."

"You have her here, and then we'll take her to Glenbogie. Now when I
say it I mean it. You go and fetch her, and if you don't I will. I'm
not going to have her turned out into the cold in that way."

"She won't come, Tom." Then he turned round and frowned at her.

The immediate result of this was that Lady Tringle herself did drive
across to Kingsbury Crescent accompanied by Gertrude and Lucy, and
did make her request in form. "My dear, your uncle particularly wants
you to come to us for the next month." Mrs. Dosett was sitting by. "I
hope Ayala may be allowed to come to us for a month."

"Ayala must answer for herself," said Mrs. Dosett, firmly. There had
never been any warm friendship between Mrs. Dosett and her husband's
elder sister.

"I can't," said Ayala, shaking her head.

"Why not, my dear?" said Lady Tringle.

"I can't," said Ayala.

Lady Tringle was not in the least offended or annoyed at the refusal.
She did not at all desire that Ayala should come to Glenbogie. Ayala
at Glenbogie would make her life miserable to her. It would, of
course, lead to Tom's marriage, and then there would be internecine
fighting between Ayala and Augusta. But it was necessary that she
should take back to her husband some reply;--and this reply, if
in the form of refusal, must come from A