Sir Harry respected the General
enough to let himself be restrained by him, and the husband and wife
were ready to take the charge--removing, however, from Rockpier, for
the religious atmosphere of which they were unprepared, and which
General Fanshaw thought very dull. Affairs were in course of being
wound up on the sale of Sirenwood, and the General had talked to
Frank, as one of the family, in a way that had proved to him his own
manhood more than anything that had happened to him. Out of the
wreck, nothing remained to the old man, and the portion which had
been secured by the mother's marriage settlements to younger
children, though hitherto out of reach, was felt by the daughters to
be due to the creditors, so that only two thousand pounds apiece had
been secured to each of them; and this the General consulted Frank
about appropriating for Sir Harry's use during his lifetime, himself
retaining the management, so as to secure the attendance of the
favourite valet, the keeping of a horse, and a fair amount of menus
plaisirs.
It was also made plain to Frank that Lena's filial duties and
scruples need no longer stand in the way of the marriage.
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