The Claverings eBook

Harry in the meantime remained by himself, thinking of what he had heard from Lady Clavering.  Archie Clavering marry Lady Ongar—­marry his Julia!  It was impossible.  He could not bring himself even to think of such an arrangement with equanimity.  He was almost frantic with anger as he thought of this proposition to restore Lady Ongar to the position in the world’s repute which she had a right to claim by such a marriage as that.  “She would indeed be disgraced then,” said Harry to himself.  But he knew that it was impossible.  He could see what would be the nature of Julia’s countenance if Archie should ever get near enough to her to make his proposal!  Archie indeed!  There was no one for whom, at that moment, he entertained so thorough a contempt as he did for his cousin, Archie Clavering.

Let us hope that he was no dog in the manger; that the feelings which he now entertained for poor Archie would not have been roused against any other possible suitor who might have been named as a fitting husband for Lady Ongar.  Lady Ongar could be nothing to him.

But I fear that he was a dog in the manger, and that any marriage contemplated for Lady Ongar, either by herself or by others for her, would have been distasteful to him—­unnaturally distasteful.  He knew that Lady Ongar could be nothing to him; and yet, as he came out of the small room into the larger room, there was something sore about his heart, and the soreness was occasioned by the thought that any second marriage should be thought possible for Lady Ongar.  Florence smiled on him as he went up to her, but I doubt whether she would have smiled had she known all his heart.

Soon after that Mrs. Clavering rose to return home, having swallowed a peace-offering in the shape of a cup of tea.  But though the tea had quieted the storm then on the waters, there was no true peace in the rector’s breast.  He shook hands cordially with Lady Clavering, without animosity with Archie, and then held out three fingers to the baronet.  The baronet held out one finger.  Each nodded at the other, and so they parted.  Harry, who knew nothing of what had happened, and who was still thinking of Lady Ongar, busied himself with Florence, and they were soon out of the house, walking down the broad road from the front door.

“I will never enter that house again, when I know that Hugh Clavering is in it,” said the rector.

“Don’t make rash assertions, Henry,” said his wife.

“I hope it is not rash, but I make that assertion,” he said.  “I will never again enter that house as my nephew’s guest.  I have borne a great deal for the sake of peace, but there are things which a man cannot bear.”

Then, as they walked home, the two girls explained to Harry what had occurred in the larger room, while he was talking to Lady Clavering in the smaller one.  But he said nothing to them of the subject of that conversation.

Chapter XII