Sophy’s answer was—­

’Dear Algernon,

’I prefer my natural guardian to any other whatever.  I shall for my part owe you no thanks for attempting to frustrate my dear brother’s wishes, and to raise an unbecoming dissension.  I desire that no use of my name may be made, and you may rest assured that I should find nothing so difficult to forgive as any such interference in my behalf.

’Yours truly,
‘SOPHIA KENDAL.’

‘Certainly,’ said Mr. Kendal, ’no family ill-will is complete unless money matters be brought in to aggravate it.’

‘Do you think I did right, and spoke strongly enough, papa?’

‘Quite strongly enough,’ said Mr. Kendal, suppressing a smile.  ’I hope you wrote kindly to Lucy at the same time.’

’One could not help that, papa; but I did say a great deal about the outrageous impropriety of raising the question, because I thought Algernon might be ashamed.’

‘Riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt,’ said Mr. Kendal.  ’Your grandfather’s acquisitions have brought us little but evil hitherto, and now I fear that our dear Gilbert’s endeavour to break the net which bound us into that system of iniquity and oppression, may cause alienation from poor Lucy.  Sophy, you must allow no apparent coldness or neglect on her part to keep you from writing often and affectionately.’

Maurice here came down with his mother, and as soon as there was a moment’s pause, laid hold of the first book he met with, and began:—­

’I do not see the justness of the analogy to which Onuphrio refers, but there are many parts of that vision on which I should wish to hear the explanations of Philalethes.’

All broke out in amazement, ’Why, Maurice, has Mrs. Dusautoy been making a scholar of you?’

‘Oh!  Maurice, was this your secret?’ cried Sophy.

He had hidden his face in his mother’s lap, and when she raised it struggled to keep it down, and she felt him sobbing and panting for breath.  Mr. Kendal stroked his hair, and they tried to soothe him, but he started up abruptly.

’I don’t mean ever to be a plague again!  So I did it.  But there—­ when Ulick said it would be a comfort, you are all going to cry again, papa and all, and that’s worse!’ and stamping his foot passionately, he would have rushed out of the room, but was held fast in his father’s arms, and indeed tears were flowing fast from eyes that his brother’s death had left dry.

‘My child! my dear child!’ said Mr. Kendal, ’it is comfort.  No one can rule you as by God’s grace you can rule yourself, and your endeavours to do this are the greatest blessing I can ask.’

One more kiss from his mother, and she let him go.  He did not know how to deal with emotion in himself, and hated the sight of it in others; so that it was better to let him burst away from them, while with one voice they admired, rejoiced, and interrogated Sophy.