Anthony Trollope: The Belton Estate

8. CHAPTER VIII: CAPTAIN AYLMER MEETS HIS CONSTITUENTS (continued)

'I'm sure he does his duty as a Member of Parliament very well,' said Clara.

'That alone would not be much; but when that is joined to so much that is better, it is a great deal. I am told that very few of the men in the House now are believers at all.'

'Oh, aunt!'

'It is terrible to think of, my dear.'

'But, aunt; they have to take some oath, or something of that sort, to show that they are Christians.'

'Not now, my dear. They've done away with all that since we had Jew members. An atheist can go into Parliament now; and I'm told that most of them are that, or nearly as bad. I can remember when no Papist could sit in Parliament. But they seem to me to be doing away with everything. It's a great comfort to me that Frederic is what he is.'

'I'm sure it must be, aunt.'

Then there was a pause, during which, however, Mrs Winterfield gave no sign that the conversation was to be considered as being over. Clara knew her aunt's ways so well, that she was sure something more was coming, and therefore waited patiently, without any thought of taking up her book. 'I was speaking to him about you yesterday,' Mrs Winterfield said at last.

'That would not interest him very much.'

'Why not? Do you suppose he is not interested in those I love? Indeed, it did interest him; and he told me what I did not know before, and what you ought to have told me.'

Clara now blushed, she knew not why, and became agitated. 'I don't know that I have kept anything from you that I ought to have told,' she said.

'He says that the provision made for you by your father has all been squandered.'