‘She would say whatever was best for me.’

’Exactly:  because she is a trump.  And I say the same.  There can be no doubt about it, Frank, my boy:  such a marriage would be very foolish for you both; very foolish.  Nobody can admire Miss Thorne more than I do; but you oughtn’t to be a marrying man for the next ten years, unless you get a fortune.  If you tell her the truth, and if she’s the girl I take her to be, she’ll not accuse you of being false.  She’ll peak for a while; and so will you, old chap.  But others have had to do that before you.  They have got over it and so will you.’

Such was the spoken wisdom of Harry Baker, and who can say that he was wrong?  Frank sat a while on his rustle seat, paring his nails with his penknife, and then looking up, he thus thanked his friend:—­

’I’m sure you mean well, Harry; and I’m much obliged to you.  I dare say you’re right too.  But, somehow, it doesn’t come home to me.  And what is more, after what has passed, I could not tell her that I wish to part from her.  I could not do it.  And besides, I have that sort of feeling, that if I heard she was to marry any one else, I am sure I would blow his brains out.  Either his or my own.’

’Well, Frank, you may count on me for anything, except the last proposition:’  and so they shook hands, and Frank rode back to Greshamsbury.

CHAPTER XLV

LAW BUSINESS IN LONDON

On the Monday morning at six o’clock, Mr Oriel and Frank started together; but early as it was, Beatrice was up to give them a cup of coffee, Mr Oriel having slept that night in the house.  Whether Frank would have received the coffee from his sister’s fair hands had not Mr Oriel been there, may be doubted.  He, however, loudly asserted that he should not have done so, when she laid claim to great merit for rising on his behalf.

Mr Oriel had been specially instigated by Lady Arabella to use the opportunity of their joint journey, for pointing out to Frank the iniquity as well as madness of the course he was pursuing; and he had promised to obey her ladyship’s request.  But Mr Oriel was perhaps not an enterprising man, and was certainly not a presumptuous one.  He did intend to do as he was bid; but when he began, with the object of leading up to the subject of Frank’s engagement, he always softened down into some much easier enthusiasm in the matter of his own engagement with Beatrice.  He had not that perspicuous, but not over-sensitive strength of mind which had enabled Harry Baker to express his opinion out at once; and boldly as he did it, yet to do so without offence.

Four times before the train arrived in London, he made some little attempt; but four times he failed.  As the subject was matrimony, it was his easiest course to begin about himself; but never could he get any further.

‘No man was ever more fortunate in a wife than I shall be,’ he said, with a soft, euphuistic self-complacency, which would have been silly had it been adopted to any other person than the bride’s brother.  His intention, however, was very good, for he meant to show, that in his case marriage was prudent and wise, because his case differed so widely from that of Frank.