’Miss Nugent is indeed—­very much attached to you, mother, I am convinced,’ said Lord Colambre, beginning his sentence with great enthusiasm, and ending it with great sobriety.

’Indeed then, she’s a sweet girl, and I am very partial to her, there’s the truth,’ cried Lady Clonbrony, in an undisguised Irish accent, and with her natural warm manner.  But a moment afterwards her features and whole form resumed their constrained stillness and stiffness, and, in her English accent, she continued—­

’Before you put my IDEES out of my head, Colambre, I had something to say to you—­Oh!  I know what it was—­we were talking of embarrassments—­and I wished to do your father the justice to mention to you that he has been uncommon liberal to me about this gala, and has REELLY given me carte-blanche; and I’ve a notion—­indeed I know—­that it is you, Colambre, I am to thank for this.’

‘Me!—­ma’am!’

‘Yes!  Did not your father give you any hint?’

’No, ma’am; I have seen my father but for half an hour since I came to town, and in that time he said nothing to me—­of his affairs.’

‘But what I allude to is more your affair.’

’He did not speak to me of any affairs, ma’am—­he spoke only of my horses.’

’Then I suppose my lord leaves it to me to open the matter to you.  I have the pleasure to tell you, that we have in view for you—­and I think I may say with more than the approbation of all her family—­an alliance—­’

‘Oh! my dear mother! you cannot be serious,’ cried Lord Colambre; ’you know I am not of years of discretion yet—­I shall not think of marrying these ten years, at least.’

’Why not?  Nay, my dear Colambre, don’t go, I beg—­I am serious, I assure you—­and, to convince you of it, I shall tell you candidly, at once, all your father told me:  that now you’ve done with Cambridge, and are come to Lon’on, he agrees with me in wishing that you should make the figure you ought to make, Colambre, as sole heir-apparent to the Clonbrony estate, and all that sort of thing.  But, on the other hand, living in Lon’on, and making you the handsome allowance you ought to have, are, both together, more than your father can afford, without inconvenience, he tells me.’

‘I assure you, mother, I shall be content—­’

’No, no; you must not be content, child, and you must hear me.  You must live in a becoming style, and make a proper appearance.  I could not present you to my friends here, nor be happy, if you did not, Colambre.  Now the way is clear before you:  you have birth and title, here is fortune ready made; you will have a noble estate of your own when old Quin dies, and you will not be any encumbrance or inconvenience to your father or anybody.  Marrying an heiress accomplishes all this at once; and the young lady is everything we could wish, besides—­you will meet again at the gala.  Indeed, between ourselves, she is the grand object of the gala; all her friends will come en Masse, and one should wish that they should see things in proper style.  You have seen the young lady in question, Colambre—­Miss Broadhurst.  Don’t you recollect the young lady I introduced you to last night after the opera?’