He Knew He Was Right | Page 2

that men should never look for money. A man
must be more comfortable, and, I think, is likely to be more
affectionate, when the money has belonged to himself.'
Sir Rowley was a high-minded gentleman, who would have liked to
have handed over a few thousand pounds on giving up his daughters;
but, having no thousands of pounds to hand over, he could not but
admire the principles of his proposed son-in-law. As it was about time
for him to have his leave of absence, he and sundry of the girls went to
England with Mr Trevelyan, and the wedding was celebrated in London
by the Rev. Oliphant Outhouse, of Saint Diddulph-in-the-East, who had

married Sir Rowley's sister. Then a small house was taken and
furnished in Curzon Street, Mayfair, and the Rowleys went back to the
seat of their government, leaving Nora, the second girl, in charge of her
elder sister.
The Rowleys had found, on reaching London, that they had lighted
upon a pearl indeed. Louis Trevelyan was a man of whom all people
said all good things. He might have been a fellow of his college had he
not been a man of fortune. He might already, so Sir Rowley was told,
have been in Parliament, had he not thought it to be wiser to wait
awhile. Indeed, he was very wise in many things. He had gone out on
his travels thus young, not in search of excitement, to kill beasts, or to
encounter he knew not what novelty and amusement, but that he might
see men and know the world. He had been on his travels for more than
a year when the winds blew him to the Mandarins. Oh, how blessed
were the winds! And, moreover, Sir Rowley found that his son-in-law
was well spoken of at the clubs by those who had known him during
his university career, as a man popular as well as wise, not a
book-worm, or a dry philosopher, or a prig. He could talk on all
subjects, was very generous, a man sure to be honoured and respected;
and then such a handsome, manly fellow, with short brown hair, a nose
divinely chiselled, an Apollo's mouth, six feet high, with shoulders and
legs and arms in proportion--a pearl of pearls! Only, as Lady Rowley
was the first to find out, he liked to have his own way.
'But his way is such a good way,' said Sir Marmaduke. 'He will be such
a good guide for the girls!'
'But Emily likes her way too,' said Lady Rowley.
Sir Marmaduke argued the matter no further, but thought, no doubt,
that such a husband as Louis Trevelyan was entitled to have his own
way. He probably had not observed his daughter's temper so accurately
as his wife had done. With eight of them coming up around him, how
should he have observed their tempers? At any rate, if there were
anything amiss with Emily's temper, it would be well that she should
find her master in such a husband as Louis Trevelyan.

For nearly two years the little household in Curzon Street went on well,
or if anything was the matter no one outside of the little household was
aware of it. And there was a baby, a boy, a young Louis, and a baby in
such a household is apt to make things go sweetly.
The marriage had taken place in July, and after the wedding tour there
had been a winter and a spring in London; and then they passed a
month or two at the sea-side, after which the baby had been born. And
then there came another winter and another spring. Nora Rowley was
with them in London, and by this time Mr Trevelyan had begun to
think that he should like to have his own way completely. His baby was
very nice, and his wife was clever, pretty, and attractive. Nora was all
that an unmarried sister should be. But but there had come to be trouble
and bitter words. Lady Rowley had been right when she said that her
daughter Emily also liked to have her own way.
'If I am suspected,' said Mrs Trevelyan to her sister one morning, as
they sat together in the little back drawing-room, 'life will not be worth
having.'
'How can you talk of being suspected, Emily?'
'What does he mean then by saying that he would rather not have
Colonel Osborne here? A man older than my own father, who has
known me since I was a baby!'
'He didn't mean anything of that kind, Emily. You know he did not, and
you should not say so. It would be too horrible to think of.'
'It was a great deal too horrible to be spoken, I know. If he