r, I've done my best to be kind, Mrs. Dosett,
and there's an end of it. If you please I'll ring the bell for the
carriage. Good-bye." After that she swam out of the room and had
herself carried back to Queen's Gate.

CHAPTER XIV.

FRANK HOUSTON.

Three or four days afterwards Sir Thomas asked whether Ayala was to
come to Glenbogie. "She positively refused," said his wife, "and
was so rude and impertinent that I could not possibly have her now."
Then Sir Thomas frowned and turned himself away, and said not a word
further on that occasion.

There were many candidates for Glenbogie on this occasion. Among
others there was Mr. Frank Houston, whose candidature was not pressed
by himself,--as could not well have been done,--but was enforced by
Gertrude on his behalf. It was now July. Gertrude and Mr. Houston
had seen something of each other in Rome, as may be remembered, and
since then had seen a good deal of each other in town. Gertrude was
perfectly well aware that Mr. Houston was impecunious; but Augusta
had been allowed to have an impecunious lover, and Tom to throw
himself at the feet of an impecunious love. Gertrude felt herself to
be entitled to her L120,000; did not for a moment doubt but that she
would get it. Why shouldn't she give it to any young man she liked
as long as he belonged to decent people? Mr. Houston wasn't a Member
of Parliament,--but then he was young and good-looking. Mr. Houston
wasn't son to a lord, but he was brother to a county squire, and came
of a family much older than that of those stupid Boardotrade and
Traffick people. And then Frank Houston was very presentable, was not
at all bald, and was just the man for a girl to like as a husband. It
was dinned into her ears that Houston had no income at all,--just a
few hundreds a year on which he never could keep himself out of debt.
But he was a generous man, who would be more than contented with the
income coming from L120,000. He would not spunge upon the house at
Queen's Gate. He would not make use of Merle Park and Glenbogie. He
would have a house of his own for his old boots. Four-per-cent. would
give them nearly L5,000 a year. Gertrude knew all about it already.
They could have a nice house near Queen's Gate;--say somewhere about
Onslow Gardens. There would be quite enough for a carriage for three
months upon a mountain in Switzerland, and three more among the art
treasures of Italy. It was astonishing how completely Gertrude had