I could not induce her to show the smallest interest about him.  Neither his house, his personal appearance, his peculiar habits, or his secrecy in relation to his early life—­nothing, in short, connected with him—­appeared to excite her attention or curiosity in the slightest degree.  On the evening of his return from the continent, she had certainly shown some symptoms of interest in his arrival at North Villa, and some appearance of attention to him, when he joined our party.  Now, she seemed completely and incomprehensibly changed on this point.  Her manner became almost petulant, if I persisted long in making Mr. Mannion a topic of conversation—­it was as if she resented his sharing my thoughts with her in the slightest degree.  As to the difficult question whether we should engage him in our interests or not, that was a matter which she always seemed to think too trifling to be discussed between us at all.

Ere long, however, circumstances decided me as to the course I should take with Mr. Mannion.

A ball was given by one of Mr. Sherwin’s rich commercial friends, to which he announced his intention of taking Margaret.  Besides the jealousy which I felt—­naturally enough, in my peculiar situation—­at the idea of my wife going out as Miss Sherwin, and dancing in the character of a young unmarried lady with any young gentlemen who were introduced to her, I had also the strongest possible desire to keep Margaret out of the society of her own class, until my year’s probation was over, and I could hope to instal her permanently in the society of my class.  I had privately mentioned to her my ideas on this subject, and found that she fully agreed with them.  She was not wanting in ambition to ascend to the highest degree in the social scale; and had already begun to look with indifference on the society which was offered to her by those in her own rank.

To Mr. Sherwin I could confide nothing of this.  I could only object, generally, to his taking Margaret out, when neither she nor I desired it.  He declared that she liked parties—­that all girls did—­that she only pretended to dislike them, to please me—­and that he had made no engagement to keep her moping at home a whole year on my account.  In the case of the particular ball now under discussion, he was determined to have his own way; and he bluntly told me as much.

Irritated by his obstinacy and gross want of consideration for my defenceless position, I forgot all doubts and scruples; and privately applied to Mr. Mannion to exert the influence which he had promised to use, if I wished it, in my behalf.

The result was as immediate as it was conclusive.  The very next evening, Mr. Sherwin came to us with a note which he had just written, and informed me that it was an excuse for Margaret’s non-appearance at the ball.  He never mentioned Mr. Mannion’s name, but sulkily and shortly said, that he had reconsidered the matter, and had altered his first decision for reasons of his own.