The unfortunate father
whose only principle in life had been that of avoiding trouble
would have rather that his daughter should have been jilted a score
of times than that he should have been called upon to interfere
once. There was in this demand upon him a breach of a silent but
well-understood compact. His wife and daughter had been allowed to
do just what they pleased and to be free of his authority, upon an
understanding that they were never to give him any trouble. She
might have married Lord Rufford, or Mr. Morton, or any other man
she might have succeeded in catching, and he would not have
troubled her either before or after her marriage. But it was not
fair that he should be called upon to interfere in her failures.
And what was he to say to this young lord? Being fat and old and
plethoric he could not be expected to use a stick and thrash the
young lord. Pistols were gone,--a remembrance of which fact perhaps
afforded some consolation. Nobody now need be afraid of anybody,
and the young lord would not be afraid of him. Arabella declared
that there had been an engagement. The young lord would of course
declare that there had been none. Upon the whole he was inclined to
believe it most probable that his daughter was lying. He did not
think it likely that Lord Rufford should have been such a fool.
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