s, wasn't it?--who'll have it
now?"

"It was, mother; five times as much as hers, I believe."

"Gracious powers! and who has it now? Why don't you tell me, Frank?"

"His sister Fanny."

"Heavens and earth!--I hope you're not going to let her quarrel with
you, are you? Has there been anything between you? Have there been any
words between you and Lord Cashel? Why don't you tell me, Frank, when
you know how anxious I am?"

"If you must know all about it, I have not had any words, as you call
them, with Fanny Wyndham; but I have with her guardian. He thinks a
hundred and twenty thousand pounds much too great a fortune for a
Connaught viscount. However, I don't think so. It will be for time to
show what Fanny thinks. Meanwhile, the less said about it the better;
remember that, girls, will you?"

"Oh, we will--we won't say a word about it; but she'll never change her
mind because of her money, will she?"

"That's what would make me love a man twice the more," said Guss; "or
at any rate show it twice the stronger."

"Frank," said the anxious mother, "for heaven's sake don't let anything
stand between you and Lord Cashel; think what a thing it is you'd lose!
Why; it'd pay all the debts, and leave the property worth twice what it
ever was before. If Lord Cashel thinks you ought to give up the hounds,
do it at once, Frank; anything rather than quarrel with him. You could
get them again, you know, when all's settled."

"I've given up quite as much as I intend for Lord Cashel."

"Now, Frank, don't be a fool, or you'll repent it all your life: what
does it signify how much you give up to such a man as Lord Cashel? You
don't think, do you, that he objects to our being at Kelly's Court?
Because I'm sure we wouldn't stay a moment if we thought that."

"Mother, I wouldn't part with a cur dog out of the place to please Lord
Cashel. But if I were to do everything on earth at his beck and will,
it would make no difference: he will never let me marry Fanny Wyndham
if he can help it; but, thank God, I don't believe he can."

"I hope not--I hope not. You'll never see half such a fortune again."

"Well, mother, say nothing about it one way or the other, to anybody.
And as you now know how the matter stands, it's no good any of us
talking more about it till I've settled what I mean to do myself."

"I shall hate her," said Sophy, "if her getting all her brother's money
changes her; but I'm sure it won't." And so the conversation