“Yes, I think he could.  The property at present is altogether unembarrassed.  To give Mr. Scarborough his due, he has never put his name to a scrap of paper; nor has he had occasion to do so.  The Tretton pottery people want more land, or rather more water, and a large sum of money will be forthcoming.  But he doesn’t see the necessity of giving Mr. Tyrrwhit a penny-piece, or certainly Mr. Hart.  He would send them away howling without a scruple.  Now, Augustus is anxious to settle with them, for some reason which I do not clearly understand.  But he wishes to do so without any interference on his father’s part.  In fact, he and his father have very different ideas as to the property.  The squire regards it as his, but Augustus thinks that any day may make it his own.  In fact, they are on the very verge of quarrelling.”  Then, after a long debate, Dolly consented that her father should go down to Tretton, and act, if possible, the part of peace-maker.

CHAPTER XVIII.

The Carroll family.

“Aunt Carroll is coming to dinner to-day,” said Dolly the next day, with a serious face.

“I know she is.  Have a nice dinner for her.  I don’t think she ever has a nice dinner at home.”

“And the three eldest girls are coming.”

“Three!”

“You asked them yourself on Sunday.”

“Very well.  They said their papa would be away on business.”  It was understood that Mr. Carroll was never asked to the Manor-house.

“Business!  There is a club he belongs to where he dines and gets drunk once a month.  It’s the only thing he does regularly.”

“They must have their dinner, at any rate,” said Mr. Grey.  “I don’t think they should suffer because he drinks.”  This had been a subject much discussed between them, but on the present occasion Miss Grey would not renew it.  She despatched her father in a cab, the cab having been procured because he was supposed to be a quarter of an hour late, and then went to work to order her dinner.

It has been said that Miss Grey hated the Carrolls; but she hated the daughters worse than the mother, and of all the people she hated in the world she hated Amelia Carroll the worst.  Amelia, the eldest, entertained an idea that she was more of a personage in the world’s eyes than her cousin,—­that she went to more parties, which certainly was true if she went to any,—­that she wore finer clothes, which was also true, and that she had a lover, whereas Dolly Grey,—­as she called her cousin behind her back,—­had none.  This lover had something to do with horses, and had only been heard of, had never been seen, at the Manor-house.  Sophy was a good deal hated also, being a forward, flirting, tricky girl of seventeen, who had just left the school at which Uncle John had paid for her education.  Georgina, the third, was still at school under similar circumstances, and was pardoned her egregious noisiness