But he saw that if
only Lord Ashbridge was selfish enough to consent to it, it had manifest
merits. His mother would be alone with him, free of the presence that so
disconcerted her.
"I propose, then," he said, "that she and I should remain in town, as
you want to be at Ashbridge."
He had been almost ashamed of suggesting it, but no such shame was
reflected in his father's mind. This would relieve him of the perpetual
embarrassment of his wife's presence, and the perpetual irritation of
Michael's. He had persuaded himself that he was making a tremendous
personal sacrifice in proposing that Michael should live with them, and
this relieved him of the necessity.
"Upon my word, Michael," he said, with the first hint of cordiality that
he had displayed, "that is very well thought of. Let us consider; it is
certainly the case that this derangement in your poor mother's mind has
caused her to take what I might almost call a dislike to me. I mentioned
that to Sir James, though it was very painful for me to do so, and he
said that it was a common and most distressing symptom of brain disease,
that the sufferer often turned against those he loved best. Your plan
would have the effect of removing that.
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