Lady Augustus as she was driven back to Orchard¹ Street and as she remained alone during the rest of that day and the next in London, became a little afraid of what she had done. She began to think how she should communicate her tidings to her daughter, and thinking of it grew to be nervous and ill at ease. How would it be with her should Arabella still cling to the hope of marrying the lord? That any such hope would be altogether illusory Lady Augustus was now sure. She had been quite certain that there was no ground for such hope when she had spoken to the man of her own poverty. She was almost certain that there had never been an offer of marriage made. In the first place Lord Rufford's word went further with her than Arabella's,—and then his story had been consistent and probable, whereas hers had been inconsistent and improbable. At any rate ropes and horses would not bring Lord Rufford to the hymeneal altar. That being so was it not natural that she should then have considered what result would be next best to a marriage? She was very poor, having saved only some few hundreds a year from the wreck² of her own fortune. Independently of her her daughter had nothing. And in spite of this poverty Arabella was very extravagant³, running up bills for finery without remorse⁴ wherever credit could be found, and excusing herself by saying that on this or that occasion such expenditure⁵ was justified⁶ by the matrimonial prospects⁷ which it opened out to her. And now, of late, Arabella had been talking of living separately from her mother. Lady Augustus, who was thoroughly⁸ tired of her daughter's company, was not at all averse⁹ to such a scheme;—but any such scheme was impracticable without money. By a happy accident the money would now be forthcoming. There would be ￡400 a year for ever and nobody would know whence it came. She was confident that they might trust to the lord's honour for

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