Margaret Maliphant

								

be likely to forget on what day and at what hour Squire Broderick had
invited us to "dancing" at the Manor.
"I wonder what has made the squire give a ball now," said mother. "I
suppose it's the prospect of the elections. He thinks he owes it to the
county."
"Why on earth should he owe the county a ball because of the
elections?" cried I. "He is not going to stand, and I don't think he
can suppose that a ball would be likely to do the Farnham interests
much good, if that's the only man they have got to put forward on the
Conservative side."
"I don't think it's a young girl's business to talk in that flippant
way, Margaret," said the mother. Father was not present just then. "I
don't think it's becoming in young folk to talk about matters they
can't possibly understand."
I was nettled at this, but I did not dare to answer mother back.
"You never heard your father talk like that of Mr. Farnham, I'm sure,"
added mother. "He likes him a great deal better than he does Mr.
Thorne, although Mr. Thorne is a Radical."
"Well, I should think so! Mr. Thorne is a capitalist, and father
doesn't think that men who have made such large fortunes in business
ought to exist," cried I, boldly, applying a theory to an individual
as I thought I had been taught. "It is no use his being a Radical, nor
giving money to the poor, because he oughtn't to have the money. It's
dreadful to think of his having bought a beautiful old place like the
Priory with money that he has ground out of his workpeople. No, nobody
will ever like Mr. Thorne in the neighborhood."
"I know squire and he don't hold together at all," answered mother.
"Though they do say Mr. Thorne bought the property through that
handsome young spark of a nephew of the squire's. The families were
acquainted up North."
"Who told you that, mother?" asked I, quickly.
"Miss Farnham said so when she called yesterday," replied mother. "And
she said it was Mr. Thorne was going to contest the seat with her
brother, so I don't know how Mr. Hoad could have come suggesting that
young captain to your father as he did yesterday. A rich man like the
manufacturer would be sure to have much more chance."
I was silent. I was a little out of my depth. "I don't believe Mr. Hoad
knew anything at all about it," I said. "How could a man be going to
contest a seat against the candidate that his own uncle was backing?
It's ridiculous. Mr. Hoad has always got something to say."
"Margaret, you really shouldn't allow yourself to pass so many opinions
on folk," repeated mother. "First Mr. Farnham, and then Mr. Thorne, and
now Mr. Hoad. It's not pretty in young women."
"Very well, mother, I won't do it again," said I, merrily. "At all
events Parliament doesn't matter much, father says so; and anyhow,
squire's going to give us a ball, and nothing can matter so much as
that."
Nothing did matter half so much to us three just then, it is true.