Part 11 (2/2)

What is it _you_ object to in him?”

”Much the same as you do, Edward. I dislike the sort of life he and those about him live. It is a different sort of life from that which we have encouraged any of our children to look forward to. I should be sorry to see Joan thrown into it.”

”Oh, thrown into it! n.o.body is going to throw her into it. I have said quite plainly that I don't like the idea. I may be old-fas.h.i.+oned--I dare say I am--but I'm not the sort of man to lose my head with pride because the heir to a peerage wants to marry my daughter.”

Mrs. Clinton looked down and said nothing, but her heart was rather heavy.

”Joan hasn't said anything about him, has she? Nothing to show that she is aware that he--what shall I say--admires her?”

”She has made fun of him constantly,” said Mrs. Clinton. ”I am glad that you have refused to have Mr. Trench here. If he came, and paid court to her, I cannot believe that she would have anything to say to him. Nothing would come of it, except irritation and annoyance to you, and pain to me, and very possibly to Joan.”

The Squire left her and took his news to d.i.c.k. ”Your mother has taken a strong prejudice against him,” he said. ”As far as I'm aware he has never done anything to deserve it, but women are like that. They take an idea into their heads and nothing will get it out.”

”Well, you've never shown any strong partiality for him yourself, that I know of,” said d.i.c.k. ”I don't care much about him, but he's a harmless sort of idiot. I always thought you were a bit rough on him.”

”Did you? Well, perhaps I am. I must say that he did annoy me infernally when he came here before, and if he comes here again it will be on the distinct understanding that he follows the rules of the house and behaves himself. Kencote isn't Brummels, and never will be as long as I'm alive. That has got to be made quite plain.”

”Do you want him to marry Joan, then?”

”Want it? No, I don't want it. Why should I want anything of the sort? I'm not in the position of having to say 'thank you' to the first man who comes along and wants to marry one of my daughters.

They'll marry well enough when the time comes. Still, this young fellow is the son of one of my oldest friends, and I've never heard that there's actually anything against him; have you?”

”No more than what's on the surface. If he married Joan, I shouldn't want to live hand in glove with him.”

”You wouldn't object to the marriage if it came about?”

d.i.c.k did not reply at once.

”It would be a good enough match from the worldly point of view,” said the Squire.

d.i.c.k looked up quickly. ”I'm the wrong man to come to for that point of view,” he said. ”I didn't marry from it myself; nor did you.”

The Squire digested this. ”It's different for men,” he said, with a shade of unwillingness. ”You've got to take it into account with women.”

”I'm not going to advise either one way or the other,” said d.i.c.k. ”If Joan likes that sort of fellow, she's welcome to him; if she doesn't, I shan't blame her.”

”You think it's a matter for her to decide?”

”It isn't a matter for me to decide.”

”She can't very well decide unless she sees him.”

”Then let her see him, if you're satisfied with him yourself. He's not my fancy; but he may be hers, for all I can tell.”

The Squire went back to his wife and told her that d.i.c.k didn't care for Bobby Trench any more than he did himself, but had never heard anything against him. He didn't see any reason against his seeing Joan. She could decide for herself. n.o.body would bring any pressure to bear on her. That wasn't the way things were done in these days. But Lord Sedbergh was one of his oldest friends, and wouldn't like it if he heard that they had refused to have his son in the house. He shouldn't like it himself. Young Trench had better be asked to Kencote with the rest, for these b.a.l.l.s that were coming on after Christmas. If he showed that he had anything in him, well and good. If not, he needn't be asked again, and no harm would be done.

”I will write to Mr. Trench,” said Mrs. Clinton. ”But I am sorry that you have decided to ask him here.”

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