“He is almost as great a man as the owner, for the matter of that,” said Amelia, standing up for her lover.

“He is not to say young,—­perhaps forty,” said Mrs. Carroll, “and he has a very decent house of his own at Newmarket.”  Dolly immediately began to think whether this might be for the better or for the worse.  Newmarket was a long way off, and the girl would be taken away; and it might be a good thing to dispose of one of such a string of daughters, even to Mr. Juniper.  Of course there would be the disagreeable nature of the connection.  But, as Dolly had once said to her father, their share of the world’s burdens had to be borne, and this was one of them.  Her first cousin must marry the trainer.  She, who had spoken so enthusiastically about gentlemen, must put up with it.  She knew that Mr. Juniper was but a small man in his own line, but she would never disown him by word of mouth.  He should be her cousin Juniper.  But she did hope that she might not be called upon to see him frequently.  After all, he might be much more respectable than Mr. Carroll.

“I am glad he has a house of his own,” said Dolly.

“It is a much better house than Fulham Manor,” said Amelia.

Dolly was angered, not at the comparison between the houses, but at the ingratitude and insolence of the girl.  “Very well,” said she, addressing herself to her aunt; “if her parents are contented, of course it is not for me or for papa to be discontented.  The thing to think of is the honesty of the man and his industry,—­not the excellence of the house.”

“But you seemed to think that we were to live in a pigsty,” said Amelia.

“Mr. Juniper stands very high on the turf,” said Mr. Carroll.  “Mr. Leadabit’s horses have always run straight, and Mousetrap won the Two-year-old Trial Stakes last spring, giving two pounds to Box-and-Cox.  A good-looking, tall fellow.  You remember seeing him here once last summer.”  This was addressed to Miss Grey; but Miss Grey had made up her mind never to exchange a word with Mr. Carroll.

“When is it to be, my dear?” said Miss Grey, turning to the ladies, but intending to address herself to Amelia.  She had already made up her mind to forgive the girl for her insolence about the house.  If the girl was to be taken away, there was so much the more reason for forgiving her that and other things.

“Oh!  I thought that you did not mean to speak to me at all,” said Amelia.  “I supposed the cut was to be extended from papa to me.”

“Amelia, how can you be so silly?” said the mother.

“If you think I’m going to put up with that kind of thing, you’re mistaken,” said Amelia.  She had got not only a lover but a husband in prospect, and was much superior to her cousin,—­who had neither one or the other, as far as she was aware.  “Mr. Juniper, with an excellent house and a plentiful income, is quite good enough for me, though he hasn’t got any regal ancestors.”  She did not intend to laugh at her father, but was aware that something had been said about ancestors by her cousin.  “A gentleman who has the management of horses is almost the same as owning them.”