’Itdoesnotsignify，’saidMrsGrantly。’Donotletussayanythingmoreaboutit。Ofcoursewecannothaveeverything。Iamtoldthechilddoesherdutyinhersphereoflife，andIsupposeweoughttobecontented。’ThenMrsGrantlywentuptoherownroom，andthereshecried。NothingwassaidtothemajorontheunpleasantsubjectoftheCrawleysbeforedinner。Hemethissisterinthedrawing—room，andwasallowedtokisshernoblecheek。’IhopeEdithiswell，Henry，’saidthesister。’Quitewell；andlittleDumbelloisthesame，Ihope？’’Thankyou，yes；quitewell。’Themajornevermadeinquiriesaftertheaugustfamily，orwouldallowittoappearthathewasconsciousofbeingshoneuponbythewifeofamarquis。AnyadulationwhichGriseldareceivedofthatkindcamefromherfather，andtherefore，unconsciouslyshehadlearnedtothinkthatherfatherwasmorebetterbredthantheothermembersofherfamily，andmorefittedbynaturetomoveinthatsacredcircletowhichsheherselfhadbeenexalted。Weneednotdwelluponthedinner，whichwasbutadullaffair。MrsGrantlystrovetocarryonthefamilypartyexactlyasitwouldhavebeencarriedonhadherdaughtermarriedthesonofsomeneighbouringsquire；butsheherselfwasconsciousofthestruggle，andthefactoftherebeingastruggleproducedfailure。Therector’sservantstreatedthedaughterofthehousewithspecialawe，andthemarchionessherselfmoved，andspoke，andate，anddrankwithacoldmagnificence，whichIthinkhadbecomeasecondnaturewithher，butwhichwasnotonthataccountthelessoppressive。Eventhearchdeacon，whoenjoyedsomethinginthatwhichwassodisagreeabletohiswife，feltareliefwhenhewasleftaloneafterdinnerwithhisson。Hefeltrelievedashissongotuptoopenthedoorforhismotherandsister，butwasawareatthesametimethathehadbeforehimamostdifficultandpossiblyamostdisastroustask。HisdearsonHenrywasnotamantobetalkedsmoothlyoutof，orinto，anypropriety。Hehadawillofhisown，andhavinghithertobeenasuccessfulman，whoinyouthhadfallenintofewyouthfultroubles——whohadneverjustifiedhisfatherinusingsternparentalauthority——wasnotnowinclinedtobendhisneck。’Henry，’saidthearchdeacon，’whatareyoudrinking？That’s’34port，butit’snotjustwhatitshouldbe。
ShallIsendforanotherbottle？’
’Itwilldoforme，sir。Ishallonlytakeaglass。’
’Ishalldrinktwoorthreeglassesofclaret。Butyouyoungfellowshavebecomesodesperatelytemperate。’
’Wetakeourwineatdinner，sir。’