at Caversham would be by trusting herself to Mr Brehgert, and at the
present moment she did not know whether Mr Brehgert did or did not
consider himself as engaged to her.

That day also passed away with ineffable tedium. At one time she was
so beaten down by ennui that she almost offered her assistance to her
sister in reference to the wedding garments. In spite of the very
bitter words which had been spoken in the morning she would have done
so had Sophy afforded her the slightest opportunity. But Sophy was
heartlessly cruel in her indifference. In her younger days she had had
her bad things, and now,--with George Whitstable by her side,--she
meant to have good things, the goodness of which was infinitely
enhanced by the badness of her sister's things. She had been so greatly
despised that the charm of despising again was irresistible. And she
was able to reconcile her cruelty to her conscience by telling herself
that duty required her to show implacable resistance to such a marriage
as this which her sister contemplated. Therefore Georgiana dragged out
another day, not in the least knowing what was to be her fate.

CHAPTER LXXIX - THE BREHGERT CORRESPONDENCE

Mr Longestaffe had brought his daughter down to Caversham on a
Wednesday. During the Thursday and Friday she had passed a very sad
time, not knowing whether she was or was not engaged to marry Mr
Brehgert. Her father had declared to her that he would break off the
match, and she believed that he had seen Mr Brehgert with that
purpose. She had certainly given no consent, and had never hinted to
any one of the family an idea that she was disposed to yield. But she
felt that, at any rate with her father, she had not adhered to her
purpose with tenacity, and that she had allowed him to return to
London with a feeling that she might still be controlled. She was
beginning to be angry with Mr Brehgert, thinking that he had taken his
dismissal from her father without consulting her. It was necessary
that something should be settled, something known. Life such as she
was leading now would drive her mad. She had all the disadvantages of
the Brehgert connection and none of the advantages. She could not
comfort herself with thinking of the Brehgert wealth and the Brehgert
houses, and yet she was living under the general ban of Caversham on
account of her Brehgert associations. She was beginning to think that
she herself must write to Mr Brehgert,--only she did not