She rather liked being hated by women and did not want
any man to be in love with her,--except as far as might be
sufficient for the purpose of marriage. The real diamonds and the
high rank would not be hers with John Morton. She would have to be
content with such rank as is accorded to Ministers at the Courts at
which they are employed. The fall would be great from what she had
once expected,--and therefore she was miserable. There had been a
young man, of immense wealth, of great rank, whom at one time she
really had fancied that she had loved; but just as she was landing
her prey, the prey had been rescued from her by powerful friends,
and she had been all but broken-hearted. Mr. Morton's fortune was
in her eyes small, and she was beginning to learn that he knew how
to take care of his own money. Already there had been difficulties
as to settlements, difficulties as to pin-money, difficulties as to
residence, Lady Augustus having been very urgent. John Morton, who
had really been captivated by the beauty of Arabella, was quite in
earnest; but there were subjects on which he would not give way. He
was anxious to put his best leg foremost so that the beauty might
be satisfied and might become his own, but there was a limit beyond
which he would not go. Lady Augustus had more than once said to her
daughter that it would not do; and then there would be all the
weary work to do again!
Nobody seeing the meeting on the platform would have imagined that Mr.
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