So he quickly acquiesced in Julian’s wish for a commission, and entirely approved of Charles’s college schemes.  After next September, the funds should be forthcoming:  not but that he was rich enough, and to spare, any month in the year:  but he would be vastly richer then, from prize-money, or some such luck.  It was more prudent to delay until September.

With reference to Emily—­no, no—­I could see at once that General Tracy never had any serious intention to part with Emily; but she had all manner of masters at home, and soon made extraordinary progress.  As for the matter of his sons falling in love with her, attractive in all beauty though she were, he never once had given it a thought:  for, first, he was too much a man of the world to believe in such ideal trash as love:  and next, he totally forgot that his “boy, or boys,” had human feelings.  So, when his wife one day gave him a gentle and triumphant hint of the state of affairs, it came upon him overwhelmingly, like an avalanche:  his yellow face turned flake-white, he trembled as he stood, and really seemed to take so natural a probability to heart as the most serious of evils.

“My son Julian in love with Emily! and if not he, at any rate Charles!  What the devil, madam, can you mean by this dreadful piece of intelligence?—­It’s impossible, ma’am; nonsense! it can’t be true; it shan’t, ma’am.”

And the general, having issued his military mandates, wrapped himself in secresy once more; satisfied that both of those troublesome sons were to leave home after the next quarter, and the prize-money at Hancock’s.

CHAPTER VI.

The confidante.

But Mrs. Tracy had the best reason for believing her intelligence was true, and she could see very little cause for regarding it as dreadful.  True, one son would have been enough for this wealthy Indian heiress—­but still it was no harm to have two strings to her bow.  Julian was her favourite, and should have the girl if she could manage it; but if Emily Warren would not hear of such a husband, why Charles Tracy may far better get her money than any body else.

That she possessed great wealth was evident:  such jewellery, such Trinchinopoli chains, such a blaze of diamonds en suite, such a multitude of armlets, and circlets, and ear-rings, and other oriental finery, had never shone on Devonshire before:  at the Eyemouth ball, men worshipped her, radiant in beauty, and gorgeously apparelled.  Moreover, money overflowed her purse, her work-box, and her jewel-case:  Charles’s village school, and many other well-considered charities, rejoiced in the streams of her munificence.  The general had given her a banker’s book of signed blank checks, and she filled up sums at pleasure:  such unbounded confidence had he in her own prudence and her far-off father’s liberality.  The few hints her husband deigned to give, encouraged Mrs. Tracy to conclude, that she would be a catch for either of her sons; and, as for the girl herself, she had clearly been brought up to order about a multitude of servants, to command the use of splendid equipages, and to spend money with unsparing hand.