ible hour at Mellor he could snatch from
a conflict in which his party, his grandfather, and his own personal
fortunes were all deeply interested. In vain--with a tardy instinct that
it was to Mr. Boyce's dislike of himself, and to the wilful fancy for
Wharton's society which this dislike had promoted, that Wharton's long
stay at Mellor was largely owing--did Aldous subdue himself to
propitiations and amenities wholly foreign to a strong character long
accustomed to rule without thinking about it. Mr. Boyce showed himself
not a whit less partial to Wharton than before; pressed him at least
twice in Raeburn's hearing to make Mellor his head-quarters so long as
it suited him, and behaved with an irritable malice with regard to some
of the details of the wedding arrangements, which neither Mrs. Boyce's
indignation nor Marcella's discomfort and annoyance could restrain.
Clearly there was in him a strong consciousness that by his attentions
to the Radical candidate he was asserting his independence of the
Raeburns, and nothing for the moment seemed to be more of an object with
him, even though his daughter was going to marry the Raeburns' heir.
Meanwhile, Wharton was always ready to walk or chat or play billiards
with his host in the intervals of his own campaign; and his society had
thus come to count considerably among the scanty daily pleasures of a
sickly and disappointed man. Mrs. Boyce did not like her guest, and took
no pains to disguise it, least of all from Wharton. But it seemed to be
no longer possible for her to take the vigorous measures she would once
have taken to get rid of him.

In vain, too, did Miss Raeburn do her best for the nephew to whom she
was still devoted, in spite of his deplorable choice of a wife. She took
in the situation as a whole probably sooner than anybody else, and she
instantly made heroic efforts to see more of Marcella, to get her to
come oftener to the Court, and in many various ways to procure the poor
deluded Aldous more of his betrothed's society. She paid many chattering
and fussy visits to Mellor--visits which chafed Marcella--and before
long, indeed, roused a certain suspicion in the girl's wilful mind.
Between Miss Raeburn and Mrs. Boyce there was a curious understanding.
It was always tacit, and never amounted to friendship, still less to
intimacy. But it often yielded a certain melancholy consolation to
Aldous Raeburn's great-aunt. It was clear to her that this strange
mother