* * * * * *

MARION FAY.

A Novel.

by

ANTHONY TROLLOPE,

Author of
"Framley Parsonage," "Orley Farm," "The Way We Live Now," etc., etc.

In Three Volumes.

VOL. II.

London:
Chapman & Hall, Limited, 11, Henrietta St.
1882
[All Rights reserved.]

Bungay:
Clay and Taylor, Printers.

CONTENTS OF VOLUME II.

I. THE IRREPRESSIBLE CROCKER.
II. MRS. RODEN'S ELOQUENCE.
III. MARION'S VIEWS ABOUT MARRIAGE.
IV. LORD HAMPSTEAD IS IMPATIENT.
V. THE QUAKER'S ELOQUENCE.
VI. MARION'S OBSTINACY.
VII. MRS. DEMIJOHN'S PARTY.
VIII. NEW YEAR'S DAY.
IX. MISS DEMIJOHN'S INGENUITY.
X. KING'S COURT, OLD BROAD STREET.
XI. MR. GREENWOOD BECOMES AMBITIOUS.
XII. LIKE THE POOR CAT I' THE ADAGE.
XIII. LADY FRANCES SEES HER LOVER.
XIV. MR. GREENWOOD'S FEELINGS.
XV. "THAT WOULD BE DISAGREEABLE."
XVI. "I DO."
XVII. AT GORSE HALL.
XVIII. POOR WALKER.
XIX. FALSE TIDINGS.
XX. NEVER, NEVER, TO COME AGAIN.
XXI. DI CRINOLA.

MARION FAY.

CHAPTER I.

THE IRREPRESSIBLE CROCKER.

Hampstead remained nearly a fortnight down at Trafford, returning to
Hendon only a few days before Christmas. Crocker, the Post Office
clerk, came back to his duties at the same time, but, as was the
custom with him, stole a day more than belonged to him, and thus
incurred the frowns of Mr. Jerningham and the heavy wrath of the
great Aeolus. The Aeoluses of the Civil Service are necessarily much
exercised in their minds by such irregularities. To them personally
it matters not at all whether one or another young man may be
neglectful. It may be known to such a one that a Crocker may be
missed from his seat without any great injury,--possibly with no
injury at all,--to the Queen's service. There are Crockers whom it
would be better to pay for their absence than their presence. This
Aeolus thought it was so with this Crocker. Then why not dismiss
Crocker, and thus save the waste of public money? But there is a
necessity,--almost a necessity,--that the Crockers of the world
should live. They have mothers, or perhaps even wives, with backs
to be clothed and stomachs to be fed, or perhaps with hearts to be
broken. There is, at any rate, a dislike to proceed to the ultimate
resort of what may be called the capital punishment of the Civil
Service. To threaten, to frown, to scold