Jane, let me advise you. There are certainly not as many rich men in the world as there are pretty girls to deserve them, so do not make falling in love a prerequisite. In my judgement one can contrive to decide upon a suitable husband and then set about falling in love.’
I was hesitant to ask her about her own marriage, although in truth she had never been very reluctant to tell us about how she did not especially love the Comte but that he adored her. She continued: ‘It is best to be a prodigious flirt and then one will always have gentlemen to hand to admire and flatter one.’
‘Would your husband not mind if you flirted with others?’
‘The French are more sophisticated about such matters, and after all I do not mind that he—’ she stopped abruptly and changed the subject as Henry came into the room and they resumed their usual banter. ‘Now Jane, here comes your accomplished brother—have we not heard that his writings at Oxford draw in many admirers? I believe he is quite the toast of the salons they hold there.’
‘No cousin, not quite, but ’tis true that I edited the paper that James began with some modest success,’ said Henry
‘What think you Jane? Shall we see dear Henry a famous editor one day? Shall we see him in Parliament? At court perhaps?’ Eliza smiled at him as she spoke.
‘Well hardly, when he is to be a man of the cloth,’ I replied, surprised that Eliza seemed to be ignorant of this.
A glance at her face told me immediately that it was indeed a new revelation to her that her favourite was to be a clergyman like his older brother.
‘What, are you to go into the church?’ Eliza asked, suddenly serious.
‘Of course—is that not what most men do when they quit Oxford?’ asked Henry.
‘Indeed they do not,’ she said sharply. ‘They may go into the law, into Parliament as I said, or what is wrong with becoming a writer?’
‘What is wrong with all those things is that they require more fortune than is at my disposal,’ Henry explained with a tolerant smile and a shrug of his shoulders. ‘Besides, a profession good enough for my father and my brother, not to mention so many uncles and cousins, is quite good enough for me.’
Eliza spoke sharply: ‘My uncle and cousin excepted, I have not so much respect for the profession and to be sure I have rarely met a rich clergyman.’
‘Perhaps my brother does not seek riches,’ I said, feeling that Henry needed some support in what I thought was a most unexpected opposition.
‘I never took your brother for a fool,’ she said, ‘and a man who does not at least aspire to riches is a fool. Ah but I know, he intends to make a rich match—is not that it, Henry? You have some young woman with thirty thousand pounds a year in your sights I suppose?’
‘You of all people should know that is not true,’ he burst out, looking very agitated.
She glanced at me and then back to him.
‘Let us discontinue this for now,’ she said. ‘Our feelings run too high and I need time to accustom myself to having yet anotherclergyman for a cousin. Come, Jane, let us walk in the lanes hereabouts with Hastings, he is need of an airing.’
I was astonished that Eliza seemed so discomforted by the news of Henry’s chosen profession. I thought it was understood by everyone that both James and Henry were to go into the church while Frank and Charles were to make the navy their profession. Edward, of course, was assured of an adequate—much more than adequate—income from the Knight inheritance. In any case, surely Henry’s profession could be of little real concern to her? Unless, of course…but no, as we had often pointed out, she is a married woman and there can be no question of her marrying Henry, which might be the only circumstance in which…
I am struck though by the intensity of their disagreement about this and about other things. I wish that Henry would return to Oxford so that we might be tranquil again. It is true that
I was hesitant to ask her about her own marriage, although in truth she had never been very reluctant to tell us about how she did not especially love the Comte but that he adored her. She continued: ‘It is best to be a prodigious flirt and then one will always have gentlemen to hand to admire and flatter one.’
‘Would your husband not mind if you flirted with others?’
‘The French are more sophisticated about such matters, and after all I do not mind that he—’ she stopped abruptly and changed the subject as Henry came into the room and they resumed their usual banter. ‘Now Jane, here comes your accomplished brother—have we not heard that his writings at Oxford draw in many admirers? I believe he is quite the toast of the salons they hold there.’
‘No cousin, not quite, but ’tis true that I edited the paper that James began with some modest success,’ said Henry
‘What think you Jane? Shall we see dear Henry a famous editor one day? Shall we see him in Parliament? At court perhaps?’ Eliza smiled at him as she spoke.
‘Well hardly, when he is to be a man of the cloth,’ I replied, surprised that Eliza seemed to be ignorant of this.
A glance at her face told me immediately that it was indeed a new revelation to her that her favourite was to be a clergyman like his older brother.
‘What, are you to go into the church?’ Eliza asked, suddenly serious.
‘Of course—is that not what most men do when they quit Oxford?’ asked Henry.
‘Indeed they do not,’ she said sharply. ‘They may go into the law, into Parliament as I said, or what is wrong with becoming a writer?’
‘What is wrong with all those things is that they require more fortune than is at my disposal,’ Henry explained with a tolerant smile and a shrug of his shoulders. ‘Besides, a profession good enough for my father and my brother, not to mention so many uncles and cousins, is quite good enough for me.’
Eliza spoke sharply: ‘My uncle and cousin excepted, I have not so much respect for the profession and to be sure I have rarely met a rich clergyman.’
‘Perhaps my brother does not seek riches,’ I said, feeling that Henry needed some support in what I thought was a most unexpected opposition.
‘I never took your brother for a fool,’ she said, ‘and a man who does not at least aspire to riches is a fool. Ah but I know, he intends to make a rich match—is not that it, Henry? You have some young woman with thirty thousand pounds a year in your sights I suppose?’
‘You of all people should know that is not true,’ he burst out, looking very agitated.
She glanced at me and then back to him.
‘Let us discontinue this for now,’ she said. ‘Our feelings run too high and I need time to accustom myself to having yet anotherclergyman for a cousin. Come, Jane, let us walk in the lanes hereabouts with Hastings, he is need of an airing.’
I was astonished that Eliza seemed so discomforted by the news of Henry’s chosen profession. I thought it was understood by everyone that both James and Henry were to go into the church while Frank and Charles were to make the navy their profession. Edward, of course, was assured of an adequate—much more than adequate—income from the Knight inheritance. In any case, surely Henry’s profession could be of little real concern to her? Unless, of course…but no, as we had often pointed out, she is a married woman and there can be no question of her marrying Henry, which might be the only circumstance in which…
I am struck though by the intensity of their disagreement about this and about other things. I wish that Henry would return to Oxford so that we might be tranquil again. It is true that
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