We could
bring about a meeting. But I feel quite sure that your brother would not
care to make himself known to Mr. Granger, or to meet your father. There is
a deadly feud between those two; and I should think it likely Mr. Lovel has
prejudiced your husband against his son."
Clarissa was fain to admit that it was so. More than once she had ventured
to speak of her brother to Daniel Granger, and on each occasion had quickly
perceived that her husband had some fixed opinion about Austin, and was
inclined to regard her love for him as an amiable weakness that should be
as far as possible discouraged.
"Your father has told me the story of his disagreement with his son, my
dear Clarissa," Daniel Granger had said in his gravest tone, "and after
what I have heard, I can but think it would be infinitely wise in you to
forget that you had ever had a brother."
This was hard; and Clarissa felt her husband's want of sympathy in this
matter as keenly as she could have felt any overt act of unkindness.
"Will you give me Austin's address" she asked, after a thoughtful pause. "I
can write to him, at least, and send him some money, without consulting any
one. I have about thirty pounds left of my last quarter's money, and even
that may be of use to him."
"Most decidedly. The poor fellow told me he had been glad to get ten
napoleons for half-a-dozen sketches: more than a fortnight's hard work.
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