The squire was in the room by this time, and what he had overheard rubbed him up still more the wrong way.Roger took his unopened note and read it.'What does he say?' asked the squire.Roger handed him the note.It contained an invitation to dinner to meet M.Geoffroi St H - ,' whose views on certain subjects Roger had been advocating in the article Lord Hollingford had spoken about to Molly, when he danced with her at the Hollingford ball.M.Geoffroi St H - was in England now, and was expected to pay a visit at the Towers in the course of the following week.He had expressed a wish to meet the author of the paper which had already attracted the attention of the French comparative anatomists; and Lord Hollingford added a few words as to his own desire to make the acquaintance of a neighbour whose tastes were so similar to his own; and then followed a civil message from Lord and Lady Cumnor.Lord Hollingford's hand was cramped and rather illegible.The squire could not read it all at once, and was enough put out to decline any assistance in deciphering it.At last he made it out.'So my lord lieutenant is taking some notice of the Hamleys at last.The election is coming on, is it? But I can tell him we're not to be got so easily.I suppose this trap is set for you, Osborne? What's this you've been writing that the French mounseer is so taken with?' 'It is not me, sir!' said Osborne.'Both note and call are for Roger.' 'I don't understand it,' said the squire.'These Whig fellows have never done their duty by me; not that I want it of them.The Duke of Debenham used to pay the Hamleys a respect due to 'em - the oldest landowners in the county - but since he died, and this shabby Whig lord has succeeded him, I've never dined at the lord lieutenant's once - no, not once.' 'But I think, sir, I've heard you say Lord Cumnor used to invite you, -only you did not choose to go,' said Roger.'Yes.What d'ye mean by that? Do you suppose I was going to desert the principles of my family, and curry favour of the Whigs? No! leave that to them.They can ask the heir of the Hamleys fast enough when a county election is coming on.' 'I tell you, sir,' said Osborne, in the irritable tone he sometimes used when his father was particularly unreasonable, 'it is not me Lord Hollingford is inviting; it is Roger.Roger is making himself known for what he is, a first-rate fellow,' continued Osborne - a sting of self-reproach mingling with his generous pride in his brother - 'and he is getting himself a name;he's been writing about these new French theories and discoveries, and this foreign savant very naturally wants to make his acquaintance, and so Lord Hollingford asks him to dine.It's as clear as can be,' lowering his tone, and addressing himself to Roger, 'it has nothing to do with politics, if my father would but see it.' Of course the squire heard this little aside with the unlucky uncertainty of hearing which is a characteristic of the beginning of deafness; and its effect on him was perceptible in the increased acrimony of his next speech.'You young men think you know everything.I tell you it's a palpable Whig trick.And what business has Roger - if it is Roger the man wants - to go currying favour with the French? In my day we were content to hate 'em and to lick 'em.But it's just like your conceit, Osborne, setting yourself up to say it's your younger brother they're asking, and not you; I tell you it's you.They think the eldest son was sure to be called after his father, Roger - Roger Hamley, junior.It's as plain as a pike-staff.They know they can't catch me with chaff, but they've got up this French dodge.
What business had you to go writing about the French, Roger? I should have thought you were too sensible to take any notice of their fancies and theories;but if it is you they've asked, I'll not have you going and meeting these foreigners at a Whig house.They ought to have asked Osborne.He's the representative of the Hamleys, if I'm not; and they can't get me, let them try ever so.Besides, Osborne has got a bit of the mounseer about him, which he caught with being so fond of going off to the Continent, instead of coming back to his good old English home.' He went on, repeating much of what he had said before, till he left the room.Osborne had kept on replying to his unreasonable grumblings, which had only added to his anger; and as soon as the squire had fairly gone, Osborne turned to Roger, and said, - 'Of course you'll go, Roger? ten to one he'll be in another mind to-morrow.' 'No,' said Roger, bluntly enough - for he was extremely disappointed; 'Iwon't run the chance of vexing him.I shall refuse.' 'Don't be such a fool!' exclaimed Osborne.'Really, my father is too unreasonable.
You heard how he kept contradicting himself; and such a man as you to be kept under like a child by -- ' 'Don't let us talk any more about it, Osborne,' said Roger, writing away fast.When the note was written, and sent off, he came and put his hand caressingly on Osborne's shoulder, as he sate pretending to read, but in reality vexed with both his father and his brother, though on very different grounds.'How go the poems, old fellow? I hope they're nearly ready to bring out.' 'No, they're not; and if it were not for the money, I shouldn't care if they were never published.What's the use of fame, if one mayn't reap the fruits of it?' 'Come, now, we'll have no more of that; let's talk about the money.I shall be going up for my fellowship examination next week, and then we'll have a purse in common, for they'll never think of not giving me a fellowship now I'm senior wrangler.I'm short enough myself at present, and I don't like to bother my father; but when I'm Fellow, you shall take me down to Winchester, and introduce me to the little wife.' 'It will be a month next Monday since I left her,' said Osborne, laying down his papers and gazing into the fire, as if by so doing he could call up her image.'In her letter this morning she bids me give you such a pretty message.It won't bear translating into English; you must read it for yourself,'