The Last Chronicle of Barset

ed that the Thornes of Ullathorne, very old friends, might be asked, and the Greshams from Boxall Hill, and had even promised to endeavour to get old Lady Lufton

, that nothing further was spoken after the Crawley alliance had been suggested. And there had been a very sore point mooted by the daughter in a request made by her to her father that she might not be called upon

mes, my dear. You know how fond

a received of that kind came from her father, and, therefore, unconsciously she had learned to think that her father was better bred than the other members of her family, and more fitted by nature to move in that sacred circle to which she herself had been exalted. We need not dwell upon the dinner, which was but a dull affair. Mrs. Grantly strove to carry on the family party exactly as it would have been carried on had her daughter married the son of some neighbouring squire; but she herself was conscious of the struggle, and the fact of there being a struggle produced failure. The rector's servants treated the daughter of the house with special awe, and the marchioness herself moved, and spoke, and ate, and drank with a cold magnificence, which I think had become a second nature with her, but which was not on that

e, sir. I shall o

of claret. But you young fellows h

r wine at d

w well Griseld

ould remain poor, if his son was fool enough to marry her? That was the train of thought which ran through the archdeacon's mind. "I do not think much o

ir, of everybody's wife

what I mea

ite sure tha

don't believe for a moment, but which, nevertheless, makes us unhappy even as a report. The

an in Silverbridge?-though I hope any young woman to whom I may beco

nry; I hope so

se, sir; but I will p

at the rumour about Grace Crawley was true; and, secondly, that the major was resolved not to be talked out of his folly. "But you are not engaged to any one, are you?" said the archd

should have taken the first opportunit

oman whose name I have heard is daughter to that Mr. Crawley who is per

s something

ot keep me in suspense, He

press yourself as thankful that there is nothing in the rumour, I am forced to stop

n't mean to

t mean to pledge m

lower yourself by marrying a young woman who cannot possibly have enjoyed any of the advantages of a lady's education? I say nothing of the imprudence of the thing; nothing of her own want of fortune; nothing of your having t

, certainly, if

that; but looking at t

ducated girl whom it has

to expect that you wi

onest w

o ask this gir

u have any right to ask

e yourself and me, I shall consider myself bound to withdraw from you al

understand that you

nly I s

have to me most cruelly. You adv

at you might mar

a lady. Her father is a clergyman, as is mine. Her father's oldest friend is my uncle. There is nothing

well,

u please, but it will not have any effect on my conduct. You can stop my allowance to-morrow, if you like it

; and, though he went on telling himself that he would stop it, he knew in his own heart that any such severity was beyond his power. He was a generous man in money matters,-having a dislike for poverty which was not generous,-and for his own sake could not have endured to see a son of his in want. B

d; excepting that Griselda, who is not clever, would ha

ed his entreaties. "Pray, pray think of what my wishes are, and your mother's. You are not committed as yet. Pray th

, and sipped his wine, while he thought what further he might say. Perhaps it might be better that he should say nothing further at the present mome

you marry

me be continued to me i

y was very gloomy. The archdeacon now and again said a word or two to his daughter, and his daughter answered him in monosyllables. The major sat apart moodily, and spoke to no one. Mrs. Grant

orning; "think much of yourself, and of your child,

ot spoken to his father since they were in the dining-room on the previous evening. When he started, the marchioness had not yet come downstai