“Was that your aunt whom I met at the gate?  There was something about her bearing and general appearance which greatly interested me.”

“She is a most estimable lady,” returned Junius.  And not wishing further to discuss his relative, he added:  “And now, what is it, sir, that I can have the pleasure of doing for you?”

“The matter regards Miss March,” said Croft.

“I presumed so,” remarked the other.  “I will state it as briefly as possible,” continued Croft.  “In consequence of your visit to me at the the Springs, I set out, the day before yesterday, to make another attempt to call on Miss March, the first one having been frustrated, as you may remember, by the information we received at the gate in regard to Miss March’s indisposition, which, as I have heard nothing more of it, I hope was of no importance.”

“Of none whatever,” said Junius.

“When I was within a mile or so of Midbranch,” continued Croft, “I met Mr Brandon, who requested me not to come to his house, and, in fact, to cease my visits altogether.”

“What!” cried Keswick, very much surprised.  “That is not at all like Mr Brandon.  What reason could he have for treating you in such a manner?”

“The very best in the world,” said Croft.  “Having, as the guardian of his niece, asked me the object of my visit to Miss March, and, having been informed by me that it was my intention to propose matrimony to the lady, he requested that I would not visit at his house.”  “On what ground did he base his objection to your visit?” asked Keswick.

“He made no objection to me; he simply stated that he did not desire me to come, because he wished his niece to marry you.”

“Quite plainly spoken,” remarked Keswick.

“Nothing could be more so,” replied Croft.  “I could not expect any one to be franker with me than he was.  He went on to inform me that a match between the lady and yourself was greatly desired by the whole family connection, with a single exception, which, however, he did not name, and, while he gave me to understand that he had no reason to fear that, so far as the lady was concerned, my proposal would interfere with your prospects, still, were it known that there was another aspirant in the field, a very undesirable state of things might ensue.  What this state of affairs was he did not state, but I presume it had something to do with the exceptional opposition to which he referred.”

“And what did you say to all that?” asked Junius.

“I said very little.  When a man asks me not to come to his house, I don’t go.  But, nevertheless, I have fully made up my mind to propose to Miss March as soon as I can get an opportunity.  I have nothing to do with family arrangements or family opposition.  You have told me that you are not engaged to her, and I am going to try to be engaged to her.  She is the one to decide this matter.  And now I have called upon you, Mr Keswick, to see if there is any way in which you can assist me in obtaining an interview with Miss March.”