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There were also younger children; and Sir George was quite as anxious as Lady Eardham that his daughters should become wives. "His own? of course it's his own. Who else should it belong to?" "There was something about that other young man." "The bastard! It was the greatest sin that ever was thought of to palm such a fellow as that off on the county; but it didn't come to anything."
"As for Sir George, he would be for taking the law of the wretch for libel, and then we should be ! I don't know where we should be then; but my dear girl would die." Of course there was nothing done. During the whole interview Lady Eardham continued to press Neefit's letter under her hand upon the table, as though it was of all documents the most precious.
Since Ralph had been in town the Eardham mansion in Cavendish Square had been opened to him with almost maternal kindness. He had accepted the kindness; but being fully alive to the purposes of matronly intrigue, had had his little jokes in reference to the young ladies.
He was so injured by Neefit that he became pervious to attacks which would otherwise have altogether failed in reaching him. Lady Eardham would never have prevailed against him as she did, conquering by a quick repetition of small blows, had not all his strength been annihilated for the time by the persecutions of the breeches-maker.
Newton says he can take me over," said Gus, standing up in the punt, shaking herself with a pretty tremor. "Don't, Mr. Newton; pray don't!" cried Lady Eardham, with affected horror. Lunch was over, or dinner, as it might be more properly called, and Ralph had taken a glass or two of champagne.
Augusta thought the bow-window was the very thing for the house, and Lady Eardham knew as a fact that a similar conservatory, the sweetest thing in the world, which she had seen at Lord Rosebud's had cost almost absolutely nothing. And if anything was well-known in gardening it was this, that the erection of such conservatories was a positive saving in garden expenses.
"Just ourselves," said Lady Eardham, in a melancholy tone, as though they two were doomed to eat family dinners together for ever after. "I suppose the property is really his own?" said Lady Eardham to her husband that afternoon. Sir George was a stout, plethoric gentleman, with a short temper and many troubles. Marmaduke was expensive, and Sir George himself had spent money when he was young.
"I'll just run up-stairs for a second," said Ralph, when he was told that Sir George was in the small parlour. He did run up-stairs, and in three minutes had been kissed by Lady Eardham and all her daughters. At this moment Gus was the "dearest child" and the "best love of a thing" with all of them.
There was some little emotion, just a quiver, and a quick rush of blood into her cheeks, which, however, left them just as quickly. "Yes; he is quick." "Who is it, papa?" "A very proper sort of person, the daughter of a Berkshire baronet." "But what is her name?" "Augusta Eardham." "Augusta Eardham. I hope he'll be happy, papa. We've known him a long time."
The marriage was to take place early in September, and the first week in August was passed by Sir George and Lady Eardham and their two younger daughters at Newton Priory.
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