ou staying with these people?'

'Ask papa.'

'I don't suppose he sent you here?'

'That's just what he did do.'

'You needn't have come, I suppose, unless you liked it. Is it because
they are none of them coming up?'

'Exactly that, Dolly. What a wonderful young man you are for
guessing!'

'Don't you feel ashamed of yourself?'

'No;--not a bit.'

'Then I feel ashamed for you.'

'Everybody comes here.'

'No;--everybody does not come and stay here as you are doing. Everybody
doesn't make themselves a part of the family. I have heard of nobody
doing it except you. I thought you used to think so much of yourself.'

'I think as much of myself as ever I did,' said Georgiana, hardly able
to restrain her tears.

'I can tell you nobody else will think much of you if you remain here.
I could hardly believe it when Nidderdale told me.'

'What did he say, Dolly?'

'He didn't say much to me, but I could see what he thought. And of
course everybody thinks the same. How you can like the people yourself
is what I can't understand!'

'I don't like them,--I hate them.'

'Then why do you come and live with them?'

'Oh, Dolly, it is impossible to make you understand. A man is so
different. You can go just where you please, and do what you like. And
if you're short of money, people will give you credit. And you can
live by yourself and all that sort of thing. How should you like to be
shut up down at Caversham all the season?'

'I shouldn't mind it,--only for the governor.'

'You have got a property of your own. Your fortune is made for you.
What is to become of me?'

'You mean about marrying?'

'I mean altogether,' said the poor girl, unable to be quite as
explicit with her brother, as she had been with her father, and
mother, and sister. 'Of course I have to think of myself.'

'I don't see how the Melmottes are to help you. The long and the short
of it is, you oughtn't to be here. It's not often I interfere, but
when I heard it I thought I'd come and tell you. I shall write to the
governor, and tell him too. He should have known better.'

'Don't write to papa, Dolly!'

'Yes, I shall. I am not going to see everything going to the devil
without saying a word. Good-bye.'

As soon as he had left he hurried down to some club that was open,--not
the Beargarden, as it was long before the Beargarden hours,--and
actually did write a letter to his father.

'MY DEAR FATHER,

I have seen Georgiana at Mr Melmott