believe that the Marquis entertained
friendly relations in regard to him, or even such neutral relations as
would admit of the ordinary courtesies of civilized life. He made up
his mind that he would be insulted,--unless indeed he should be so
cowed as to give way to the Marquis. But, that he himself thought to be
impossible. The more he reflected about it, the more assured he became
that the Marquis had not expected him to obey the summons. It was
possible that something might be gained on the other side by his
refusal to see the elder brother of his son-in-law. He might, by
refusing, leave it open to his enemies to say that he had rejected an
overture to peace, and he now regarded as his enemies almost the entire
Germain family. His own son-in-law would in future, he thought, be as
much opposed to him as the head of the family. The old Marchioness, he
knew, sincerely believed in Popenjoy. And the daughters, though they
had at first been very strong in their aversion to the foreign mother
and the foreign boy, were now averse to him also, on other grounds. Of
course Lord George would complain of his wife at Cross Hall. Of course
the story of the Kappa-kappa would be told in a manner that would
horrify those three ladies. The husband would of course be indignant at
his wife's disobedience in not having left London when ordered by him
to do so. He had promised not to foster a quarrel between Mary and Lord
George, but he thought it by no means improbable that circumstances
would for a time render it expedient that his daughter should live at
the deanery, while Lord George remained at Cross Hall. As to nothing
was he more fully resolved than this,--that he would not allow the
slightest blame to be attributed to his daughter, without repudiating
and resenting the imputation. Any word against her conduct, should such
word reach his ears even through herself, he would resent, and it would
go hard with him, but he would exceed such accusations by
recriminations. He would let them know, that if they intended to fight,
he also could fight. He had never uttered a word as to his own
liberality in regard to money, but he had thought of it much. Theirs
was the rank, and the rank was a great thing in his eyes; but his was
at present the wealth; and wealth, he thought was as powerful as rank.
He was determined that his daughter should be a Marchioness, and in
pursuit of that object he was willing to spend his money;--but he
intended to