“Or if you were fond of shooting or hunting?”

“You know very well I never shot a bird, and hardly ever crossed a horse in my life.”

“But you are fond of gardening.”

“Haven’t I got garden enough here?”

“Quite enough, if you think so; but will there be occupation sufficient in that to find you employment for all your life?”

“I shall read.”

“It seems to me,” she said, “that reading becomes wearisome as an only pursuit, unless you’ve made yourself accustomed to it.”

“Sha’n’t I have as much employment as you?”

“A woman is so different!  Darning will get through an unlimited number of hours.  A new set of underclothing will occupy me for a fortnight.  Turning the big girl’s dresses over there into frocks for the little girls is sufficient to keep my mind in employment for a month.  Then I have the maid-servants to look after, and to guard against their lovers.  I have the dinners to provide, and to see that the cook does not give the fragments to the policeman.  I have been brought up to do these things, and habit has made them usual occupations to me.  I never envied you when you had to encounter all Mr. Scarborough’s vagaries; but I knew that they sufficed to give you something to do.”

“They have sufficed,” said he, “to leave me without anything that I can do.”

“You must not allow yourself to be so left.  You must find out some employment.”  Then they sat silent for a time, while Mr. Grey occupied himself with some of the numerous papers which it would be necessary that he should hand over to Mr. Barry.  “And now,” said Dolly, “Mr. Carroll will have gone out, and I will go over to the Terrace.  I have to see them every day, and Mr. Carroll has the decency to take himself off to some billiard-table so as to make room for me.”

“What are they doing about that man?” said Mr. Grey.

“About the lover?  Mr. Juniper has, I fancy, made himself extremely disagreeable, not satisfying himself with abusing you and me, but poor aunt as well, and all the girls.  He has, I fancy, got some money of his own.”

“He has had money paid to him by Captain Scarborough; but that I should fancy would rather make him in a good humor than the reverse.”

“He is only in a good humor, I take it, when he has something to get.  However, I must be off now, or the legitimate period of Uncle Carroll’s absence will be over.”

Mr. Grey, when he was left alone, at once gave up the manipulation of his papers, and, throwing himself back into his chair, began to think of that future life of which he had talked so easily to his daughter.  What should he do with himself?  He believed that he could manage with his books for two hours a day; but even of that he was not sure.  He much doubted whether for many years past the time devoted to reading in his own house had amounted to one hour a day.  He thought that he could employ himself in the garden