Dr. Shrapnel’s account of Nevil stated him to have gone to call on Colonel Halkett, a new resident at Mount Laurels, on the Otley river.  He offered the welcome of his house to the lady who was Captain Beauchamp’s friend, saying, with extraordinary fatuity (so it sounded in Rosamund’s ears), that Captain Beauchamp would certainly not let an evening pass without coming to him.  Rosamund suggested that he might stay late at Mount Laurels.

‘Then he will arrive here after nightfall,’ said the doctor.  ’A bed is at your service, ma’am.’

The offer was declined.  ’I should like to have seen him to-day; but he will be home shortly.’

’He will not quit Bevisham till this Election’s decided unless to hunt a stray borough vote, ma’am.’

’He goes to Mount Laurels.

‘For that purpose.’

’I do not think he will persuade Colonel Halkett to vote in the Radical interest.’

’That is the probability with a landed proprietor, ma’am.  We must knock, whether the door opens or not.  Like,’ the doctor laughed to himself up aloft, ’like a watchman in the night to say that he smells smoke on the premises.’

’Surely we may expect Captain Beauchamp to consult his family about so serious a step as this he is taking,’ Rosamund said, with an effort to be civil.

Why should he?’ asked the impending doctor.

His head continued in the interrogative position when it had resumed its elevation.  The challenge for a definite reply to so outrageous a question irritated Rosamund’s nerves, and, loth though she was to admit him to the subject, she could not forbear from saying, ’Why?  Surely his family have the first claim on him!’

’Surely not, ma’am.  There is no first claim.  A man’s wife and children have a claim on him for bread.  A man’s parents have a claim on him for obedience while he is a child.  A man’s uncles, aunts, and cousins have no claim on him at all, except for help in necessity, which he can grant and they require.  None—­wife, children, parents, relatives—­none has a claim to bar his judgement and his actions.  Sound the conscience, and sink the family!  With a clear conscience, it is best to leave the family to its own debates.  No man ever did brave work who held counsel with his family.  The family view of a man’s fit conduct is the weak point of the country.  It is no other view than, “Better thy condition for our sakes.”  Ha!  In this way we breed sheep, fatten oxen:  men are dying off.  Resolution taken, consult the family means—­waste your time!  Those who go to it want an excuse for altering their minds.  The family view is everlastingly the shopkeeper’s!  Purse, pence, ease, increase of worldly goods, personal importance—­the pound, the English pound!  Dare do that, and you forfeit your share of Port wine in this world; you won’t be dubbed with a title; you’ll be fingered at!  Lord, Lord! is it the region inside a man, or out, that gives him peace?  Out, they