He was partly driven to this by a desire to shake off the burden of his brother.  When Archie chose to go to Clavering, the house was open to him.  That was the necessity of Sir Hugh’s position, and he could not avoid it unless he made it worth his while to quarrel with his brother.  Archie was obedient, ringing the bell when he was told, looking after the horses, spying about, and perhaps saving as much money as he cost.  But the matter was very different in Berkeley Square.  No elder brother is bound to find breakfast and bed for a younger brother in London.  And yet, from his boyhood upward, Archie had made good his footing in Berkeley Square.  In the matter of the breakfast, Sir Hugh had indeed, of late, got the better of him.  The servants were kept on board wages, and there were no household accounts.  But there was Archie’s room, and Sir Hugh felt this to be a hardship.

The present was not the moment for actually driving forth the intruder, for Archie was now up in London, especially under his brother’s auspices.  And if the business on which Captain Clavering was now intent could be brought to a successful issue, the standing in the world of that young man would be very much altered.  Then he would be a brother of whom Sir Hugh might be proud—­a brother who would pay his way, and settle his points at whist if he lost them, even to a brother.  If Archie could induce Lady Ongar to marry him, he would not be called upon any longer to ring the bells and look after the stable.  He would have bells of his own, and stables, too, and perhaps some captain of his own to ring them and look after them.  The expulsion, therefore, was not to take place till Archie should have made his attempt upon Lady Ongar.

But Sir Hugh would admit of no delay, whereas Archie himself seemed to think that the iron was not yet quite hot enough for striking.  It would be better, he had suggested, to postpone the work till Julia could be coaxed down to Clavering in the Autumn.  He could do the work better, he thought; down at Clavering than in London.  But Sir Hugh was altogether of a different opinion.  Though he had already asked his sister-in-law to Clavering, when the idea had first come up, he was glad that she had declined the visit.  Her coming might be very well, if she accepted Archie; but he did not want to be troubled with any renewal of his responsibility respecting her, if, as was more probable, she should reject him.  The world still looked askance at Lady Ongar, and Hugh did not wish to take up the armor of a paladin in her favor.  If Archie married her, Archie would be the paladin; though, indeed, in that case, no paladin would be needed.

“She has only been a widow, you know, four months,” said Archie, pleading for delay.  “It won’t be delicate, will it?”

“Delicate!” said Sir Hugh.  “I don’t know whether there is much of delicacy in it at all.”

“I don’t see why she isn’t to be treated like any other woman.  If you were to die, you’d think it very odd if any fellow came up to Hermy before the season was over.