She was commanded not to speak of love.

‘Whatever it may be, my dear,’ said the Countess, ’Mr. Laxley has used you ill.  It may be that you put yourself at his feet’; and his sister looked at him, sighing a great sigh.  She had, with violence, stayed her mouth concerning what she knew of the Fallow field business, dreading to alarm his sensitiveness; but she could not avoid giving him a little slap.  It was only to make him remember by the smart that he must always suffer when he would not be guided by her.

Evan professed to the Jocelyns that he was willing to apologize to Laxley for certain expressions; determining to leave the house when he had done it.  The Countess heard and nodded.  The young men, sounded on both sides, were accordingly lured to the billiard-room, and pushed together:  and when he had succeeded in thrusting the idea of Rose from the dispute, it did seem such folly to Evan’s common sense, that he spoke with pleasant bonhommie about it.  That done, he entered into his acted part, and towered in his conceit considerably above these aristocratic boors, who were speechless and graceless, but tigers for their privileges and advantages.

It will not be thought that the Countess intended to permit her brother’s departure.  To have toiled, and yet more, to have lied and fretted her conscience, for nothing, was as little her principle, as to quit the field of action till she is forcibly driven from it is that of any woman.

‘Going, my dear,’ she said coolly.  ’To-morrow?  Oh! very well.  You are the judge.  And this creature—­the insolvent to the apple-woman, who is coming, whom you would push here—­will expose us, without a soul to guide his conduct, for I shall not remain.  And Carry will not remain.  Carry—–!’ The Countess gave a semisob.  ’Carry must return to her brute—­’ meaning the gallant Marine, her possessor.

And the Countess, knowing that Evan loved his sister Caroline, incidentally related to him an episode in the domestic life of Major and Mrs. Strike.

’Greatly redounding to the credit of the noble martinet for the discipline he upholds,’ the Countess said, smiling at the stunned youth.

‘I would advise you to give her time to recover from one bruise,’ she added.  ‘You will do as it pleases you.’

Evan was sent rushing from the Countess to Caroline, with whom the Countess was content to leave him.

The young man was daintily managed.  Caroline asked him to stay, as she did not see him often, and (she brought it in at the close) her home was not very happy.  She did not entreat him, but looking resigned, her lovely face conjured up the Major to Evan, and he thought, ’Can I drive her back to her tyrant?’ For so he juggled with himself to have but another day in the sunshine of Rose.

Andrew, too, threw out genial hints about the Brewery.  Old Tom intended to retire, he said, and then they would see what they would see!  He silenced every word about Lymport; called him a brewer already, and made absurd jokes, that were serviceable stuff nevertheless to the Countess, who deplored to this one and to that the chance existing that Evan might, by the urgent solicitations of his brother-in-law, give up diplomacy and its honours for a brewery and lucre!