“He is doing you no harm,” his brother said gravely. However, he picked up a book of engravings from one of the tables, and gave it to Lord Dolphinton, directing him to look at the pictures, and telling him that he would find them very pretty and interesting. Lord Dolphinton, who was accustomed to being told, far less kindly, by his mother, what he must do, received the book gratefully, and began to turn over the pages.

Lord Biddenden said, still in that complaining undervoice: “I cannot conceive what should have prevailed with Uncle Matthew to have invited him! It is absurd to suppose that he can have an interest in this business!” He received no other answer than one of his brother’s annoyingly reproving looks, and with an exclamation of impatience walked over to the table, and began to toss over one or two periodicals which had been arranged upon it. “It is excessively provoking that Claud should not be here!” he said, for perhaps the seventh time that day. “I should have been very glad to have seen him comfortably established!”  This observation being met with the same unencouraging silence, his lordship said with a good deal of asperity: “You may not consider Claud’s claims, but I am not one to be forgetting my brothers, I am thankful to state! I’ll tell you what it is, Hugh: you are a cold-hearted fellow, and if you depend upon your countenance to win you a handsome fortune, you may well be disappointed, and there will all my trouble be spent for nothing!”

“What trouble?” enquired the Rector, in accents which lent some colour to his brother’s accusation.

“If it had not been for my representations of what you owe to the family, you would not be here this evening!”