The Hoyden

versation in the drawin

you can persuade him," sa

nterests lie. Besides, I have great weight with him. I tel

crosses Mrs. Bethun

ve so easy of manag

a shrug. "By the way, Margaret did not back you up

e with you, she starts off at a tangent on some other absurd idea. She is full of f

? My life

looks at her aunt-such a wonderfully young aunt, with her yellow hair and her spa

spoil yourself, Marian; you do indeed. You will never make a g

good marriage, a

its suddenly

be mad to cherish such a hope. You are both paupers, for one thing, and for the rest

s might at this moment see that she could have killed Lady Rylton with a wondrous joy. Killing has

It would be quite in my line. I should arrange him, form him, bring him into Society, even against Society's will! There is a certai

n, who is shrewd as she is cruel, "and that you will not

ld I int

You can't bear to see any man

fault. It belongs to most wom

hands, I shall know how to deal with her. A little, ignorant, detestable child! I tell you,

to have a good time if M

y. "Not another word," says she, putting up her

stay and

Lady Rylton, with a

Sir Maurice is only crossing the lawn now, and by running through the hall outside, and getting o

nd makes a signal to him; it is an old signal. Ryl

s waiting for you in the south drawing-r

at?" asks Rylton, n

Shall I," smiling at him in her beautiful way, and lay

the hand lying on his breast and

ed with a long deep glance from her dark eyes. "T

ice?" asks he

advice to you is to come to the rose-garden as soon as possible, and see the roses before they fade out of

ve there too," say

though it had breathed devotion, troubles Mrs. Bethune; she frowns as he leaves her, and,

*

long experience has driven into him the knowledge that when his mother wants anything, all the delays and subterfuges and evasions in the world will not prevent her having it. To get it over, then,

e lounge, and agrees with himself to make his mother happy

where Marian had just now sat. He finds consolation in his mother's poodle

g," says Lady Rylton at last,

e, looking up. "If I'm not, it's your poodle'

e poodle, who snaps back at him, barking vigor

e answer from you

nswer! How ca

ook towards the open window. There below, still attended by Mr. Gower, and coming back from her charitable visit to the swans, is Tita, her little head upheld

k over his shoulder at his mother. "Is that

aurice; it is a serious

dear mother. She couldn't know her duty to her neigh

uld tea

ugh the window; her gay little laugh comes up to him again. "Do you know, she is very pretty," says

girl," says his m

ld be impossible to think of

hrugging her shoulders. "She's much more a boy

hat's what you call he

an tell y

So would you, if--" He pauses. "If she hadn't a penny you wouldn't know her," he says presently; "and you

her! Says his mother

occasion. I could not manage a ba

could help it, but she is one of the richest girls in England. And after all, though I detest the very sound of it, Trade is now our master. You object to the girl's youth; that, however, is in her favour. You can mould her to your own desi

pain. He seldom speaks of his father-never to his mother. He had certa

nk of this gi

g of the thing that is thrust under one's eyes morning, noon, and night. I shall think of

ent to you is an

ame too! She doesn't even like me! We shouldn't be taking her name in

w how it is with us, Maurice. We can hold on very little longer. If you persist in refusing this last chance,

r and patting her shoulder tenderly. "There must be some othe

turf has ruined us-brought us to the very verge of disgrace and penury, and now, when you

on, rather coldly. "If I have wasted a few hundred on a race here and there, it i

e your father--"

t my father," says he

ou accuse me!" cries sh

as it ought to be-a vindictive curve round the mouth

ays her son sternly. "To tell you the tru

rection. If she is to win the cause so close to her heart, she ha

. She is so rich, and you-we-are so poor! She has a house in Surrey, and one in the North-delightful places, I have been told-and, of

go and turning away impatiently. "Y

d it not b

wning now, and his tone is growing ang

child! Of course yo

want to,"

ou are very good-looking, Mau

hat?"

inate

her son, colouring a dark red with very shame. "Are you asking me to make love t

llenly. She has gone back to her chair, and now, with low

lton (it is really ridiculous to call her Miss anything; she ought to be Betty, or Lizzie, or Lily, o

y, whatever else she may be. But I tell you this, Maurice, that you will hate far m

can keep my

have been petted and p

if I were in the cradle!"

never

etim

he will marry you; but if in the meantime she meets anyone with money who will marry her, why, good-bye to you. But you must not marry! Mind that! You must be held in chains whilst she goe

ice. "He, I believe, did sometimes bel

inst himself, his judgment? Like his father; is he like his father? Can he, too, see only gold w

e, and see nothing but Marian smiling. You never see Marian frowning. Your corner suits you. It would trouble you too

ourself so unhap

cau

her, "let us have an end of this. Marian woul

you unless you get your uncle's money (and he is as likely to live to be a Methuselah as anyone I ever saw; t

n, interrupting he again. "If you have nothing b

ept your marriage with Tita Bolton? Maurice, think of i

her hand on his arm,

esses it, and drops it deliberately. "My dea

r crying as he crosses the hall, and then her words begin to trouble him even more. What was it she had said about Marian? It was a hint, a very broad one. It meant that Marian might love him if he were a poor man, but could love him much more if he we