"But, father--"

"You start on the nineteenth," said Sir Thomas. Then he left the
room, closing the door behind him with none of the tenderness
generally accorded to an invalid.

"You have not asked him?" Tom said to his mother shortly afterwards.

"Not yet, my dear. His mind is so disturbed by this unfortunate
affair."

"And is not my mind disturbed? You may tell him that I will not go,
though he should turn me out a dozen times, unless I know more about
it than I do now."

Sir Thomas came home again that evening, very sour in temper, and
nothing could be said to him. He was angry with everybody, and Lady
Tringle hardly dared to go near him, either then or on the following
morning. On the Tuesday evening, however, he returned somewhat
softened in his demeanour. The millions had perhaps gone right,
though his children would go so wrong. When he spoke either to his
younger daughter or of her he did so in that jeering tone which he
afterwards always assumed when allusion was made to Captain Batsby,
and which, disagreeable as it was, seemed to imply something of
forgiveness. And he ate his dinner, and drank his glass of wine,
without making any allusion to the parsimonious habits of his
son-in-law, Mr. Traffick. Lady Tringle, therefore, considered that
she might approach him with Tom's request.

"You go to Stalham!" he exclaimed.

"Well, my dear, I suppose I could see her?"

"And what could you learn from her?"

"I don't suppose I could learn much. She was always a pig-headed,
stiff-necked creature. I am sure it wouldn't be any pleasure to me to
see her."

"What good would it do?" demanded Sir Thomas.

"Well, my dear; he says that he won't go unless he can get a message
from her. I am sure I don't want to go to Stalham. Nothing on earth
could be so disagreeable. But perhaps I could bring back a word or
two which would make him go upon his journey."

"What sort of word?"

"Why;--if I were to say that she were engaged to this Colonel Stubbs,
then he would go. He says that he would start at once if he knew that
his cousin were really engaged to somebody else."

"But if she be not?"

"Perhaps I could just colour it a little. It would be such a grand
thing to get him away, and he in this miserable condition! If he were
once on his travels, I do think he would soon begin to forget it
all."

"Of course he would," said Sir Thomas.

"Then I might as well try. He has set his heart upon it, and if he
thinks t