‘If that were so, she would have been more humble to you, ma’am.’

’Not a bit, Fred. That’s just it.  That has been her cleverness.  She tried that on at first, and found that she could not get round me.  Don’t allow yourself to be deceived by that, I pray.  And then there is no knowing how she may be bound up with those horrid people, so that she cannot throw them over, even if she would.’

‘I don’t think you understand her, ma’am.’

’Oh very well.  But I understand this, and you had better understand it too that she will never again enter a house of which I am the mistress; nor can I ever enter a house in which she is received.  If you choose to make her your wife after that, I have done.’  Lady Aylmer had not done, or nearly done; but we need hear no more of her threats or entreaties.  Her son left Aylmer Park immediately after Easter Sunday, and as he went, the mother, nodding her head, declared to her daughter that that marriage would never come off, let Clara Amedroz be ever so sly, or ever so clever.

‘Think of what I have said to you, Fred,’ said Sir Anthony, as he took his leave of his son.

‘Yes, sir, I will.’

‘You can’t be better off than you are you can’t, indeed.’  With these words in his ears Captain Aylmer started for London, intending to follow Clara down to Belton.  He hardly knew his own mind on this matter of his purposed marriage.  He was almost inclined to agree with his father that he was very well off as he was.  He was almost inclined to agree with his mother in her condemnation of Clara’s conduct.  He was almost inclined to think that he had done enough towards keeping the promise made to his aunt on her death. bed but still he was not quite contented with himself.  He desired to be honest and true, as far as his ideas went of honesty and truth, and his conscience told him that Clara had been treated with cruelty by his mother.  I am inclined to think that Lady Aylmer, in spite of her high experience and character for wisdom, had not fought her battle altogether well.  No man likes to be talked out of his marriage by his mother, and especially not so when the talking takes the shape of threats.  When she told him that under no circumstances would she again know Clara Amedroz, he was driven by his spirit of manhood to declare to himself that that menace from her should not have the slightest influence on him.  The word or two which his father said was more effective.  After all it might be better for him in his peculiar position to have no wife at all.  He did begin to believe that he had no need for a wife.  He had never before thought so much of his father’s example as he did now.  Clara was manifestly a hot-tempered woman a very hot-tempered woman indeed!  Now his mother was also a hot-tempered woman, and he could see the result in the present condition of his father’s life.  He resolved that he would follow Clara to Belton, so that some final settlement might be made between them; but in coming to this resolution he acknowledged to himself that should she decide against him he would not break his heart.  She, however, should have her chance.  Undoubtedly it was only right that she should have her chance.