self would regard as fault-finding words
though she had complained more than once of his scolding her. He would
caution her, beg her to be grave, ask her to read heavy books, and try
to impress her with the solemnity of married life. In this way he would
quell her spirits for a few hours. Then she would burst out again, and
there would be Jack De Baron and the bagatelle. In all these sorrows he
solaced himself by asking advice from Mrs. Houghton. By degrees he told
Mrs. Houghton almost everything. The reader may remember that there had
been a moment in which he had resolved that he would not again go to
Berkeley Square. But all that was very much altered now. He was there
almost every day, and consulted the lady about every thing. She had
induced him even to talk quite openly about this Italian boy, to
express his suspicions, and to allude to most distressing duties which
might be incumbent on him. She strenuously advised him to take nothing
for granted. If the Marquisate was to be had by careful scrutiny she
was quite of opinion that it should not be lost by careless confidence.
This sort of friendship was very pleasant to him, and especially so,
because he could tell himself that there was nothing wicked in it. No
doubt her hand would be in his sometimes for a moment, and once or
twice his arm had almost found its way round her waist. But these had
been small deviations, which he had taken care to check. No doubt it
had occurred to him, once or twice, that she had not been careful to
check them. But this, when he thought of it maturely, he attributed to
innocence.

It was at last, by her advice, that he begged that one of his sisters
might come up to town, as a companion to Mary during his absence at
Cross Hall. This counsel she had given to him after assuring him
half-a-dozen times that there was nothing to fear. He had named Amelia,
Mary having at once agreed to the arrangement, on condition that the
younger of the three sisters should be invited. The letter was of
course written to Lady Sarah. All such letters always were written to
Lady Sarah. Lady Sarah had answered, saying, that Susanna would take
the place destined for Amelia. Now Susanna, of all the Germain family,
was the one whom Mary disliked the most. But there was no help for it.
She thought it hard, but she was not strong enough in her own position
to say that she would not have Susanna, because Susanna had not been
asked. "I think Lady Susanna will be t