In the first week in January Lord George and Sir Griffin returned to the
castle with the view of travelling up to London with the three ladies.
This arrangement was partly thrown over by circumstances, as Sir Griffin
was pleased to leave Portray two days before the others and to travel by
himself. There was a bitter quarrel between Lucinda and her lover, and it
was understood afterwards by Lady Eustace that Sir Griffin had had a few
words with Lord George; but what those few words were, she never quite
knew. There was no open rupture between the two gentlemen, but Sir Griffin
showed his displeasure to the ladies, who were more likely to bear
patiently his ill-humour in the present circumstances than was Lord
George. When a man has shown himself to be so far amenable to feminine
authority as to have put himself in the way of matrimony, ladies will bear
a great deal from him. There was nothing which Mrs. Carbuncle would not
endure from Sir Griffin, just at present; and, on behalf of Mrs.
Carbuncle, even Lizzie was long-suffering. It cannot, however, be said
that this Petruchio had as yet tamed his own peculiar shrew. Lucinda was
as savage as ever, and would snap and snarl, and almost bite.
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