Miss Rivers shrugged her shoulders. “Isn’t this,” she said, “to do with the City and not Park Lane? As Mrs. Shelf says, we’re ordinary society heathens when we’re here, and as she sent Hamilton his card, I don’t see that it matters. It’s Mrs. Shelf’s ‘At Home.’” “And not mine, Amy? You are right in the word, my dear, but not in the spirit. As a Christian, of course I have already forgiven the wrong Mr. Fairfax has done me in doubting the pureness of my motives. But this humble roof is mine, Amy, and it would grieve me to receive under it any one with whom I am not on terms of brotherly amity. But perhaps you can assure me, my dear, that Mr. Fairfax has already repented him of his hasty and unjust words.” “No, that,” said Miss Rivers, “I’m sure he hasn’t.” “Then,” replied Mr. Theodore Shelf, with a sorrowful firmness, “I cannot receive him. I couldn’t do it.” “I suppose you know,” the girl retorted sharply, “that if Hamilton does not come here to-night, I shan’t either.” “You are my ward.” “I may be. But you’ve never tyrannized over me, and you are not going to begin now. I tell you flatly that if it’s no Hamilton, it’s going to be no me. I shall go to Hampstead to stay with my cousin.” “I cannot give way in this, Amy. My conscience will not permit me.” “Very well. May I have the carriage, or must I order a hansom?” “My dear child, I can refuse you nothing in reason. The brougham is now, as it always has been, entirely at your disposal.” Miss Rivers left the room, and Mr. Shelf scrubbed his dog’s ragged head. “She’s angry with me now, George,” he said, with a fat, satisfied smile, “but I think she’ll change her mind afterwards. She’s a clever girl, and she’ll see. So will that young beggar Fairfax, confound him!” Then Mr. Shelf put George on a comfortable chair, and turned to his table. He had, as may be imagined, a good deal of writing to get through, and a considerable deal of burning; and the work took him till very late. Then he dressed, slipped out for dinner, and returned by eleven o’clock, to stand behind his wife, and watch her as she received her guests, and share with her the warm congratulations on their coming accession to title. He thought he had never seen the woman look so handsome or so queenly, and once or twice he half regretted the blow which he was going to bring down upon her. But then his eyes would fall on the walls of the room, and the silver lamps, and the flowers; and the items of that gorgeous display would go into his soul, and wither up any morsel of compassion which might have been there.