u're very
much belied."

"Hugh," said Mr. Clavering, rising slowly from his chair, "I don't often
come into my father's house, but when I do, I wish to be treated with
respect. You are the only person in this parish that ever omits to do
so."

"Bosh!" said Sir Hugh.

The two girls sat cowering in their seats, and poor Florence must have
begun to entertain an uncomfortable idea of her future connections.
Archie made a frantic attempt to raise some conversation with Mrs.
Clavering about the weather. Mrs. Clavering, paying no attention to
Archie whatever, looked at her husband with beseeching eyes. "Henry,"
she said, "do not allow yourself to be angry; pray do not. What is the
use?"

"None on earth," he said, returning to his book. "No use on earth; and
worse than none in showing it."

Then it was that Sir Hugh had made a diversion by calling to his wife.
"I wish you'd stay with us, and not go off alone with one person in
particular, in that way." Lady Clavering looked round and immediately
saw that things were unpleasant. "Archie," she said, "will you ring for
tea?" And Archie did ring. The tea was brought, and a cup was taken all
round, almost in silence.

Harry in the meantime remained by himself, thinking of what he had heard
from Lady Clavering. Archie Clavering marry Lady Ongar--marry his Julia!
It was impossible. He could not bring himself even to think of such an
arrangement with equanimity. He was almost frantic with anger as he
thought of this proposition to restore Lady Ongar to the position in the
world's repute which she had a right to claim by such a marriage as
that. "She would indeed be disgraced then," said Harry to himself. But
he knew that it was impossible. He could see what would be the nature of
Julia's countenance if Archie should ever get near enough to her to make
his proposal! Archie indeed! There was no one for whom, at that moment,
he entertained so thorough a contempt as he did for his cousin, Archie
Clavering.

Let us hope that he was no dog in the manger; that the feelings which he
now entertained for poor Archie would not have been roused against any
other possible suitor who might have been named as a fitting husband for
Lady Ongar. Lady Ongar could be nothing to him.

But I fear that he was a dog in the manger, and that any marriage
contemplated for Lady Ongar, either by herself or by others for her,
would have been distasteful to him--unnaturally distasteful. He knew
that Lady