nature Georgey did not know as it was addressed to Lady Pomona.
But one enclosure she was allowed to see. 'Mamma,' said Sophy, 'thinks
you ought to know how Dolly feels about it.' And then a letter from
Dolly to his father was put into Georgey's hands. The letter was as
follows:--

MY DEAR FATHER,--

Can it be true that Georgey is thinking of marrying that horrid
vulgar Jew, old Brehgert? The fellows say so; but I can't
believe it. I'm sure you wouldn't let her. You ought to lock her
up.

Yours affectionately,

A. LONGESTAFFE.

Dolly's letters made his father very angry, as, short as they were,
they always contained advice or instruction, such as should come from
a father to a son, rather than from a son to a father. This letter had
not been received with a welcome. Nevertheless the head of the family
had thought it worth his while to make use of it, and had sent it to
Caversham in order that it might be shown to his rebellious daughter.

And so Dolly had said that she ought to be locked up! She'd like to
see somebody do it! As soon as she had read her brother's epistle she
tore it into fragments and threw it away in her sister's presence.
'How can mamma be such a hypocrite as to pretend to care what Dolly
says? Who doesn't know that he's an idiot? And papa has thought it
worth his while to send that down here for me to see! Well, after that
I must say that I don't much care what papa does.'

'I don't see why Dolly shouldn't have an opinion as well as anybody
else,' said Sophy.

'As well as George Whitstable? As far as stupidness goes they are
about the same. But Dolly has a little more knowledge of the world.'

'Of course we all know, Georgiana,' rejoined the elder sister, 'that
for cuteness and that kind of thing one must look among the commercial
classes, and especially among a certain sort.'

'I've done with you all,' said Georgey, rushing out of the room. 'I'll
have nothing more to do with any one of you.'

But it is very difficult for a young lady to have done with her
family! A young man may go anywhere, and may be lost at sea; or come
and claim his property after twenty years. A young man may demand an
allowance, and has almost a right to live alone. The young male bird
is supposed to fly away from the paternal nest. But the daughter of a
house is compelled to adhere to her father till she shall get a
husband. The only way in which Georgey could 'have done' with them all