Lady Carbury's desire for a union between Roger and her daughter was greatly increased by her solicitude in respect to her son.

Since Roger's offer had first been made, Felix had gone on from bad to worse, till his condition had become one of hopeless embarrassment.

If her daughter could but be settled in the world, Lady Carbury said to herself, she could then devote herself to the interests of her son.
She had no very clear idea of what that devotion would be.

But she did know that she had paid so much money for him, and would have so much more extracted from her, that it might well come to pass that she would be unable to keep a home for her daughter.

In all these troubles she constantly appealed to Roger Carbury for advice,--which, however, she never followed.