Mr. Brooke put his hands behind him, walked to the window and straightened his back with a little shake before he replied.

“That is easily said, Chettam, easily said, you know.”

“My dear sir,” persisted Sir James, restraining his indignation within respectful forms, “it was you who brought him here, and you who keep him here—­I mean by the occupation you give him.”

“Yes, but I can’t dismiss him in an instant without assigning reasons, my dear Chettam.  Ladislaw has been invaluable, most satisfactory.  I consider that I have done this part of the country a service by bringing him—­by bringing him, you know.”  Mr. Brooke ended with a nod, turning round to give it.

“It’s a pity this part of the country didn’t do without him, that’s all I have to say about it.  At any rate, as Dorothea’s brother-in-law, I feel warranted in objecting strongly to his being kept here by any action on the part of her friends.  You admit, I hope, that I have a right to speak about what concerns the dignity of my wife’s sister?”

Sir James was getting warm.

“Of course, my dear Chettam, of course.  But you and I have different ideas—­different—­”

“Not about this action of Casaubon’s, I should hope,” interrupted Sir James.  “I say that he has most unfairly compromised Dorothea.  I say that there never was a meaner, more ungentlemanly action than this—­a codicil of this sort to a will which he made at the time of his marriage with the knowledge and reliance of her family—­ a positive insult to Dorothea!”

“Well, you know, Casaubon was a little twisted about Ladislaw.  Ladislaw has told me the reason—­dislike of the bent he took, you know—­ Ladislaw didn’t think much of Casaubon’s notions, Thoth and Dagon—­ that sort of thing:  and I fancy that Casaubon didn’t like the independent position Ladislaw had taken up.  I saw the letters between them, you know.  Poor Casaubon was a little buried in books—­ he didn’t know the world.”

“It’s all very well for Ladislaw to put that color on it,” said Sir James.  “But I believe Casaubon was only jealous of him on Dorothea’s account, and the world will suppose that she gave him some reason; and that is what makes it so abominable—­ coupling her name with this young fellow’s.”

“My dear Chettam, it won’t lead to anything, you know,” said Mr. Brooke, seating himself and sticking on his eye-glass again.  “It’s all of a piece with Casaubon’s oddity.  This paper, now, `Synoptical Tabulation’ and so on, `for the use of Mrs. Casaubon,’ it was locked up in the desk with the will.  I suppose he meant Dorothea to publish his researches, eh? and she’ll do it, you know; she has gone into his studies uncommonly.”

“My dear sir,” said Sir James, impatiently, “that is neither here nor there.  The question is, whether you don’t see with me the propriety of sending young Ladislaw away?”