She still thought that Sir Felix might bloom and burst out into grandeur, wealth, and fashion, as the husband of a great heiress, and in spite of her son's vices, was proud of him in that anticipation.

When he succeeded in obtaining from her money, as in the case of that L20,--when, with brazen-faced indifference to her remonstrances, he started off to his club at two in the morning, when with impudent drollery he almost boasted of the hopelessness of his debts, a sickness of heart would come upon her, and she would weep hysterically, and lie the whole night without sleeping.

But could he marry Miss Melmotte, and thus conquer all his troubles by means of his own personal beauty,--then she would be proud of all that had passed.
With such a condition of mind Roger Carbury could have no sympathy.

To him it seemed that a gentleman was disgraced who owed money to a tradesman which he could not pay.

And Lady Carbury's heart was high with other hopes,--in spite of her hysterics and her fears.