"She had better not. She must be told. He may come for a week. I won't have him here for longer. Write to him and say that we shall be happy to have him from the second to the ninth. Emily must be told that I disapprove of him, but that I can't avoid opening my house to him." These were the most severe words he had ever spoken about Cousin George, but then the occasion had become very critical. Lady Elizabeth's reply was as follows:-- MY DEAR COUSIN GEORGE,--Sir Harry and I will be very happy to have you on the second, as you propose, and hope you will stay till the eleventh. Yours sincerely, ELIZABETH HOTSPUR. He was to come on a Saturday, but she did not like to tell him to go on a Saturday, because of the following day. Where could the poor fellow be on the Sunday? She therefore stretched her invitation for two days beyond the period sanctioned by Sir Harry. "It's not very gracious," said George, as he showed the note to Lady Altringham. "I don't like it the less on that account. It shows that they're afraid about her, and they wouldn't be afraid without cause." "There is not much of that, I fancy." "They oughtn't to have a chance against you,--not if you play your game well. Even in ordinary cases the fathers and mothers are beaten by the lovers nine times out of ten. It is only when the men are oafs and louts that they are driven off. But with you, with your cousinship, and half-heirship, and all your practice, and the family likeness, and the rest of it, if you only take a little trouble--" "I'll take any amount of trouble." "No, you won't. You'll deny yourself nothing, and go through no ordeal that is disagreeable to you. I don't suppose your things are a bit better arranged in London than they were in the spring." She looked at him as though waiting for an answer, but he was silent. "It's too late for anything of that kind now, but still you may do very much. Make up your mind to this, that you'll ask Miss Hotspur to be your wife before you leave--what's the name of the place?" "I have quite made up my mind to that, Lady Altringham." "As to the manner of doing it, I don't suppose that I can teach you anything." "I don't know about that." "At any rate I shan't try. Only remember this. Get her to promise to be firm, and then go at once to Sir Harry. Don't let there be an appearance of doubt in speaking to him. And if he tells you of the property,--angrily I mean,--then do you tell him of the title. Make him understand that you give as much as you get. I don't suppose he will yield at first. Why should he? You are not the very best young man about town, you know. But if you get her, he must follow. She looks like one that would stick to it, if she once had said it."