er has thrown away his. We all have a duty,
not only to ourselves, but to each other. Inclination must give way to
duty--though I do not say Constance exhibits any real disinclination to
this marriage. She is a little flurried. As Alicia said just now, every
really nice-minded girl is flurried at the idea of marriage. She ought
to be. I consider it only delicate that she should be. But she
understands--I have pointed it out to her--that her money, her
position, and those two big houses--Brockhurst and the one in Lowndes
Square--will be of the greatest advantage to the girls and to her
brothers. It is not as if she was nobody. The scullery-maid can marry
whom she likes, of course. But in our rank of life it is different. A
girl is bound to think of her family, as well as of herself. She is
bound to consider----"

The groom-of-the-chambers opened the door and advanced solemnly across
the boudoir to Lord Fallowfeild.

"Sir Richard Calmady is in the smoking-room, my lord," he said, "to see
you."

CHAPTER V

IPHIGENIA

Chastened in spirit, verbally acquiescent, yet unconvinced, a somewhat
pitiable sense of inadequacy upon him, Lord Fallowfeild traveled back
to Westchurch that night. Two days later the morning papers announced
to all whom it might concern,--and that far larger all, whom it did not
really concern in the least,--in the conventional phrases common to
such announcements, that Sir Richard Calmady and Lady Constance Quayle
had agreed shortly to become man and wife. Thus did Katherine Calmady,
in all trustfulness, strive to give her son his desire, while the
great, and little, world looked on and made comments, various as the
natures and circumstances of the units composing them.

Lady Louisa was filled with the pride of victory. Her venture had not
miscarried. At church on Sunday--she was really too busy socially, just
now, to attend what it was her habit to describe as "odds and ends of
week-day services," and therefore worshipped on the Sabbath only, and
then by no means in secret or with shut door--she repeated the General
Thanksgiving with much unction and in an aggressively audible voice.
And Lady Alicia Winterbotham expressed a peevish hope that,--"such
great wealth might not turn Constance's head and make her just a little
vulgar. It was all rather dangerous for a girl of her age, and
she"--the speaker--"trusted _somebody_ would point out to Connie the
heavy responsibilities towards others su