submit so must my wife and children. If our son were different from
what he is the sacrifice might probably be made lighter. His nature I
cannot alter, but from my daughters I expect cheerful obedience.' From
what incidents of his past life he was led to expect cheerfulness at
Caversham it might be difficult to say; but the obedience was there.
Georgey was for the time broken down; Sophia was satisfied with her
nuptial prospects, and Lady Pomona had certainly no spirits left for a
combat. I think the loss of the hair-powder afflicted her most; but
she said not a word even about that.

But in all this the details necessary for the telling of our story are
anticipated. Mr Longestaffe had remained in London actually over the
1st of September, which in Suffolk is the one great festival of the
year, before the letter was written to which allusion has been made.
In the meantime he saw much of Mr Brehgert, and absolutely formed a
kind of friendship for that gentleman, in spite of the abomination of
his religion,--so that on one occasion he even condescended to ask Mr
Brehgert to dine alone with him in Bruton Street. This, too, was in
the early days of the arrangement of the Melmotte affairs, when Mr
Longestaffe's heart had been softened by that arrangement with
reference to the rent. Mr Brehgert came, and there arose a somewhat
singular conversation between the two gentlemen as they sat together
over a bottle of Mr Longestaffe's old port wine. Hitherto not a word
had passed between them respecting the connection which had once been
proposed, since the day on which the young lady's father had said so
many bitter things to the expectant bridegroom. But in this evening Mr
Brehgert, who was by no means a coward in such matters and whose
feelings were not perhaps painfully fine, spoke his mind in a way that
at first startled Mr Longestaffe. The subject was introduced by a
reference which Brehgert had made to his own affairs. His loss would
be, at any rate, double that which Mr Longestaffe would have to bear;--
but he spoke of it in an easy way, as though it did not sit very near
his heart. 'Of course there's a difference between me and you,' he
said. Mr Longestaffe bowed his head graciously, as much as to say that
there was of course a very wide difference. 'In our affairs,'
continued Brehgert, 'we expect gains, and of course look for
occasional losses. When a gentleman in your position sells a property
he expects to get the purc