visits to her in London.  He had, indeed, been told by Montague himself that, let the cost be what it might, the engagement should be and in fact had been broken off.  He thoroughly believed the man’s word, but put no trust whatever in his firmness.  And, hitherto, he had no reason whatever for supposing that Mrs Hurtle had consented to be abandoned.  What father, what elder brother would allow a daughter or a sister to become engaged to a man embarrassed by such difficulties?  He certainly had counselled Montague to rid himself of the trammels by which he had surrounded himself;—­ but not on that account could he think that the man in his present condition was fit to engage himself to another woman.

All this was clear to Roger Carbury.  But then it had been equally...