under any circumstances be a humdrum thing,—­to be brightened only by wealth.  But here she saw no signs of wealth.  Nevertheless she was not prepared to shove away the plank from below her feet, till she was sure that she had a more substantial board on which to step.  Her mother, who perhaps did not see in the character of Morton all the charms which she would wish to find in a son-in-law, was anxious to shake off the Bragton alliance; but Arabella, as she said so often both to herself and to her mother, was sick of the dust of the battle and conscious of fading strength.  She would make this one more attempt, but must make it with great care.  When last in town this young lord had whispered a word or two to her, which then had set her hoping for a couple of days; and now, when chance had brought her into his neighbourhood, he had gone out of his way,—­ very much out of his way,—­to renew his acquaintance with her.  She would be mad not to give herself the chance; but yet she could not afford to let the plank go from under her feet.

But the part she had to play was one which even she felt to be almost beyond her powers.  She could perceive that Morton was beginning to be jealous,—­and that his jealousy was not of that nature which strengthens a tie but which is apt to break it altogether.  His jealousy, if fairly aroused, would not be appeased by a final return to himself.  She had already given him occasion to declare himself off, and if thoroughly angered he would no doubt use it.  Day by day, and almost hour by hour, he was becoming more sombre and hard, and she was well aware that there was reason for it.  It did not suit her to walk about alone with him through the shrubberies.  It did not suit her to be seen with his arm round her waist.  Of course the people of Bragton would talk of the engagement, but she would prefer that they should talk of it with doubt.  Even her own maid had declared to Mrs. Hopkins that she did not know whether there was or was not an engagement,—­her own maid being at the time almost in her confidence.  Very few of the comforts of a lover had been vouchsafed to John Morton during this sojourn at Bragton and very little had been done in accordance with his wishes.  Even this visit to Rufford, as she well knew, was being made in opposition to him.  She hoped that her lover would not attempt to ride to hounds on the Tuesday, so that she might be near the lord unseen by him,—­and that he would leave Rufford on the Wednesday before herself and her mother.  At the ball of course she could dance with Lord Rufford, and could keep her eye on her lover at the same time.

She hardly saw Morton on the Sunday afternoon, and she was again closeted on the Monday till lunch.  They were to start at four and there would not be much more than time after lunch for her to put on her travelling gear, Then, as they all felt, there was a difficulty about the carriages.  Who was to go with whom?  Arabella, after lunch, took the bull by the horns.  “I suppose,” she said as Morton followed her out into the hall, “mamma and I had better go in the phaeton.”