In the evening, when the dinner-things had been taken away, a matter of business came up, and took the place of the prince and his mustaches.  Mrs. Carroll was most anxious to know whether her brother could “lend” her a small sum of twenty pounds.  It came out in conversation that the small sum was needed to satisfy some imperious demand made upon Mr. Carroll by a tailor.  “He must have clothes, you know,” said the poor woman, wailing.  “He doesn’t have many, but he must have some.”  There had been other appeals on the same subject made not very long since, and, to tell the truth, Mr. Grey did require to have the subject argued, in fear of the subsequent remarks which would be made to him afterward by his daughter if he gave the money too easily.  The loan had to be arranged in full conclave, as otherwise Mrs. Carroll would have found it difficult to obtain access to her brother’s ear.  But the one auditor whom she feared was her niece.  On the present occasion Miss Grey simply took up her book to show that the subject was one which had no interest for her; but she did undoubtedly listen to all that was said on the subject.  “There was never anything settled about poor Patrick’s clothes,” said Mrs. Carroll, in a half-whisper.  She did not care how much her own children heard, and she knew how vain it was to attempt so to speak that Dolly should not hear.

“I dare say something ought to be done at some time,” said Mr. Grey, who knew that he would be told, when the evening was over, that he would give away all his substance to that man if he were asked.

“Papa has not had a new pair of trousers this year,” said Sophy.

“Except those green ones he wore at the races,” said Georgina.

“Hold your tongue, miss!” said her mother.  “That was a pair I made up for him and sent them to the man to get pressed.”

“When the hundred a year was arranged for all our dresses,” said Amelia, “not a word was said about papa.  Of course, papa is a trouble.”

“I don’t see that he is more of a trouble than any one else,” said Sophy.  “Uncle John would not like not to have any clothes.”

“No, I should not, my dear.”

“And his own income is all given up to the house uses.”  Here Sophy touched imprudently on a sore subject.  His “own” income consisted of what had been saved out of his wife’s fortune, and was thus named as in opposition to the larger sum paid to Mrs. Carroll by Mr. Grey.  There was one hundred and fifty pounds a year coming from settled property, which had been preserved by the lawyer’s care, and which was regarded in the family as “papa’s own.”

It certainly is essential for respectability that something should be set apart from a man’s income for his wearing apparel; and though the money was, perhaps, improperly so designated, Dolly would not have objected had she not thought that it had already gone to the race-course,—­in company with the green trousers.  She had her own means of obtaining information as to the Carroll family.  It was very necessary that she should do so, if the family was to be kept on its legs at all.  “I don’t think any good can come from discussing what my uncle does with the money.”  This was Dolly’s first speech.  “If he is to have it, let him have it, but let him have as little as possible.”