Besides, Mrs. Plausaby put all her weight into the scale, and with the loving Katy the mother’s word weighed more even than Albert’s.  Mrs. Plausaby didn’t see why in the world Katy couldn’t marry as she pleased without being tormented to death.  Marrying was a thing everybody must attend to personally for themselves.  Besides, Mr. Westcott was a nice-spoken man, and dressed very well, his shirt-bosom was the finest in Metropolisville, and he had a nice hat and wore lavender gloves on Sundays.  And he was a store-keeper, and he would give Katy all the nice things she wanted.  It was a nice thing to be a store-keeper’s wife.  She wished Plausaby would keep a store.  And she went to the glass and fixed her ribbons, and reflected that if Plausaby kept a store she could get plenty of them.

And so all that Cousin Isa and Brother Albert said came to naught, except that it drove the pitiful Katy into a greater devotion to her lover, and made the tender-hearted Katy cry.  And when she cried, the sentimental Westcott comforted her by rattling his keys in an affectionate way, and reminding her that the course of true love never did run smooth, “by George! he! he! he!”

CHAPTER X

PLAUSABY, ESQ., TAKES A FATHERLY INTEREST.

Plausaby, Esq., felt a fatherly interest.  He said so.  He wanted Albert to make his way in the world.  “You have great gifts, Albert,” he said.  But the smoother Mr. Plausaby talked, the rougher Mr. Albert felt.  Mr. Plausaby felt the weight of all that Albert had said against the learned professions.  He did, indeed.  He would not care to say it so strongly.  Not too strongly.  Old men never spoke quite so strongly as young ones.  But the time had been, he said, when Thomas Plausaby’s pulse beat as quick and strong as any other young man’s.  Virtuous indignation was a beautiful emotion in a young man.  For his part he never cared much for a young man who did not know how to show just such feeling on such questions.  But one must not carry it too far.  Not too far.  Never too far.  For his part ho did not like to see anything carried too far.  It was always bad to carry a thing too far.  A man had to make his bread somehow.  It was a necessity.  Every young man must consider that he had his way to make in the world.  It was a fact to be considered.  To be considered carefully.  He would recommend that Albert consider it.  And consider it carefully.  Albert must make his way.  For his part, he had a plan in view that he thought could not be objectionable to Albert’s feelings.  Not at all objectionable.  Not in the least.

All this Plausaby, Esq., oozed out at proper intervals and in gentlest tones.  Charlton for his mother’s sake kept still, and reflected that Mr. Plausaby had not said a word as yet that ought to anger him.  He therefore nodded his head and waited to hear the plan which Plausaby had concocted for him.

Mr. Plausaby proceeded to state that he thought Albert ought to pre-empt.