why a lady who has money should be less fit to be loved than one
who has none. Miss Barm is a most charming young woman, of excellent
manners, admirably educated, if not absolutely handsome, quite of
distinguished appearance, and she has forty thousand pounds. We all
liked her when she was here." But there came a very black frown upon
Lord George's brow, and then even Lady Sarah did not dare to speak
again in favour of Miss Barm.

Then there came a terrible blow. Lord George Germain was in love with
his cousin, Miss De Baron! It would be long to tell, and perhaps
unnecessary, how that young lady had made herself feared by the ladies
of Manor Cross. Her father, a man of birth and fortune, but not perhaps
with the best reputation in the world, had married a Germain of the
last generation, and lived, when in the country, about twenty miles
from Brotherton. He was a good deal on the turf, spent much of his time
at card-playing clubs, and was generally known as a fast man. But he
paid his way, had never put himself beyond the pale of society, and
was, of course, a gentleman. As to Adelaide de Baron, no one doubted
her dash, her wit, her grace, or her toilet. Some also gave her credit
for beauty; but there were those who said that, though she would behave
herself decently at Manor Cross and houses of that class, she could be
loud elsewhere. Such was the lady whom Lord George loved, and it may be
conceived that this passion was distressing to the ladies of Manor
Cross. In the first place, Miss De Baron's fortune was doubtful and
could not be large; and then--she certainly was not such a wife as Lady
Brotherton and her daughters desired for the one male hope of the
family.

But Lord George was very resolute, and for a time it seemed to them all
that Miss de Baron,--of whom the reader will see much if he go through
with our story,--was not unwilling to share the poverty of her noble
lover. Of Lord George personally something must be said. He was a tall,
handsome, dark-browed man, silent generally and almost gloomy, looking,
as such men do, as though he were always revolving deep things in his
mind, but revolving in truth things not very deep,--how far the money
would go, and whether it would be possible to get a new pair of
carriage-horses for his mother. Birth and culture had given to him a
look of intellect greater than he possessed; but I would not have it
thought that he traded on this or endeavoured to seem other than he