Only Allen is too gentle and has
too much good taste to show it; while as to the other two, Bobus's
contempt is of a kindly, filial, petting description; Janet's, a
nasty, defiant, overt disregard."
"Impossible! They could not dare to despise her."
"They do, for the very things that are best in her; and so far I
think the Evelyn intercourse has been unlucky, since they ascribe her
greater religiousness to what it suits their democratic notions to
scorn. Not that there is much to complain of in Bobus's manner when
we do see him. He only uses little stings of satire, chiefly about
Lord Fordham. I don't think he would knowingly pain his mother if he
could help it; and for that reason there is a reserve between them."
"He is eating his terms in the Temple, is he not? And Janet? Is she
studying medicine still? Does she mean to practise?"
"I can't make out. She has only been with us twice in these four
years, once at Sorrento and once in London; but she has a very active
dislike to Mrs. Evelyn, and vexes her mother by making no secret of
it. I believe she is to take her degree at Zurich this spring, but I
don't think she means to practise. She is too well off for the
drudgery, but she is bent on making researches of some kind, and I
think I heard of some plan of her going to attend lectures, to which
her degree may admit her, but I am not sure where.
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