There followed an extremely
harassing time for Colonel and Mrs Powys. Mrs Ashburnham had
written to say that, quite sincerely, nothing would give greater
ease to her maternal anxieties than to have her son marry one of
Mrs Powys' daughters if only he showed some inclination to do so.
For, she added, nothing but a love-match was to be thought of in
her Edward's case. But the poor Powys couple had to run things so
very fine that even the bringing together of the young people was
a desperate hazard.
The mere expenditure upon sending one of the girls over from
Ireland to Branshaw was terrifying to them; and whichever girl
they selected might not be the one to ring Edward's bell. On the
other hand, the expenditure upon mere food and extra sheets for a
visit from the Ashburnhams to them was terrifying, too. It would
mean, mathematically, going short in so many meals themselves,
afterwards. Nevertheless, they chanced it, and all the three
Ashburnhams came on a visit to the lonely manor-house. They
could give Edward some rough shooting, some rough fishing and
a whirl of femininity; but I should say the girls made really more
impression upon Mrs Ashburnham than upon Edward himself.
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