good a mother to
repine at her daughter's promised gaiety. Sophia was welcome to go;
but by all the laws of God and man it would behove her lord and
husband to eat his mincepie at home.

"Mr. Furnival was to be back in town this evening," the lady said, as
though apologizing to young Mason for her husband's absence, when he
entered the drawing-room, "but he has not come, and I dare say will
not come now."

Mason did not care a straw for Mr. Furnival. "Oh! won't he?" said he.
"I suppose business keeps him."

"Papa is very busy about politics just at present," said Sophia,
wishing to make matters smooth in her mother's mind. "He was obliged
to be at Romford in the beginning of the week, and then he went down
to Birmingham. There is some congress going on there, is there not?"

"All that must take a great deal of time," said Lucius.

"Yes; and it is a terrible bore," said Sophia. "I know papa finds it
so."

"Your papa likes it, I believe," said Mrs. Furnival, who would not
hide even her grievances under a bushel.

"I don't think he likes being so much from home, mamma. Of course he
likes excitement, and success. All men do. Do they not, Mr. Mason?"

"They all ought to do so, and women also."

"Ah! but women have no sphere, Mr. Mason."

"They have minds equal to those of men," said Lucius, gallantly, "and
ought to be able to make for themselves careers as brilliant."

"Women ought not to have any spheres," said Mrs. Furnival.

"I don't know that I quite agree with you there, mamma."

"The world is becoming a great deal too fond of what you call
excitement and success. Of course it is a good thing for a man to
make money by his profession, and a very hard thing when he can't do
it," added Mrs. Furnival, thinking of the olden days. "But if success
in life means rampaging about, and never knowing what it is to sit
quiet over his own fireside, I for one would as soon manage to do
without it."

"But, mamma, I don't see why success should always be rampageous."

"Literary women who have achieved a name bear their honours quietly,"
said Lucius.

"I don't know," said Mrs. Furnival. "I am told that some of them are
as fond of gadding as the men. As regards the old maids, I don't care
so much about it; people who are not married may do what they like
with themselves, and nobody has anything to say to them. But it
is very different for married people. They have no business to be
enticed away from their homes by a