But there had been
a transaction lately between him and his son with reference to the
cutting off a certain entail under which money was to be paid to
Lord Percival. This money had not yet been forthcoming, and
therefore the Earl was constrained to assent. This was very
distasteful to the Earl, and he came home therefore in a bad
humour, and said a great many disagreeable things to his daughter.
'You know, papa, if I could do anything I would.' This she said
in answer to a threat, which he had made often before and now
repeated, of getting rid altogether of the house in Belgrave
Square. Whenever he made this threat he did not scruple to tell
her that the house had to be kept up solely for her welfare. 'I
don't see why the deuce you don't get married. You'll have to
sooner or later.' That was not a pleasant speech for a daughter
to hear from her father. 'As to that,' she said, 'it must come or
not as chance will have it. If you want me to sign anything I will
sign it;'--for she had been asked to sign papers, or in other words
to surrender rights;--'but for that other matter it must be left to
myself.
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