"I hope you don't like him—do you?"
"He is my brother-in-law," replied Emma, "you forget that."
"I think he does," retorted Lord Osborne, "but one is not obliged to like one's brother-in-law, I suppose."
"I hope you mean nothing personal or disrespectful by that observation," exclaimed Sir William.
"No, on my honour, I forgot about you, Gordon," said he, "but I should think it quite enough if the husband likes his wife without its being at all necessary that the mother and sisters, and brother-in-law, should all like her too."
"Not necessary, certainly, but altogether desirable, and certainly conducive to domestic felicity."
"If my sister does not like my wife she must keep at a distance from her," said Lord Osborne, positively, "and then her feelings will be of no consequence—Don't you agree with me, Miss Watson?"
"Not exactly, my lord; I should not in practice, certainly—I do not think I would marry into a family where I was altogether unwelcome!"
"I am sorry for it," said Lord Osborne, very softly, and then looking remarkably conscious and awkward, he walked away.
"His theories sound more unprincipled than his practice would be, I suspect," observed Sir William, looking after him, and glancing at Emma, "I doubt whether he would really bear a quarrel with his sister with such indifference."