Had Harry married Gertrude, and Alaric Linda, he would have regarded either of those matches with disfavour.

But now he was quite satisfied--now he could look on Alaric as his son and Gertrude as his daughter, and use his money according to his fancy, without incurring the reproaches of his conscience.
'Quite right, my boy, 'he said to Alaric, slapping him on the back at the same time with pretty nearly all his power--'quite right.

Didn't I know you were the winning horse ?--didn't I tell you how it would be?
Do you think I don't know what gumption means?
If I had not had my own weather-eye open, aye, and d---- wide open, the most of my time, I shouldn't have two or three thousand pounds to give away now to any young fellow that I take a fancy to.' Alaric was, of course, all smiles and good humour, and Gertrude not less so.

The day after he heard of the engagement Uncle Bat went to town, and, on his return, he gave Gertrude L100 to buy her wedding-clothes, and half that sum to her mother, in order that the thing might go off, as he expressed himself, 'slip-slap, and no mistake.' To Linda he gave nothing, but promised her that he would not forget her when her time came.
All this time Norman was at Normansgrove; but there were three of the party who felt that it behoved them to let him know what was going on.

Mrs.Woodward wrote first, and on the following day both Gertrude and Alaric wrote to him, the former from Hampton, and the latter from his office in London.
All these letters were much laboured, but, with all this labour, not one of them contained within it a grain of comfort.