“Everything won’t be all right.  Everything’s confoundedly wrong.  Think what it is for a proud man to be at the mercy of an aunt, and to look to her for his keep.  If anything could make me sick of the whole show, it’s that.”

“I shouldn’t feel it so.  She’s keen on you, and keen on Sabina; and she knows you can’t live upon air.  You may be sure also she knows that it won’t last.  Daniel will come round.”

“And if he does?  It’s all the same—­taking his money.”

“You won’t be taking it; you’ll be earning it.”

“I hate him, like hell, and I hate the thought of working under him all my life.”

“You won’t be under him.  You’ve often said the time was coming when you’d wipe Daniel’s eye and show you were the moving spirit of the Mill.  Well now, when you go back, you must work double tides to do it.”

“He may not take me back, and for many things I’d sooner he didn’t.  We should never be the same to one another after that row.  For two pins, even now, I’d make a bolt, Arthur, and disappear altogether and go abroad and carve out my own way.”

“Don’t talk rot.  You can’t do that.”

But Waldron, in spite of his advice and sanguine prophecies, hid a grave doubt at heart whether, so far as Raymond’s own future was concerned, such a course might not be the wisest.  He felt confident, however, that the younger man would keep his engagements.  Raymond had plenty of pluck and did not lack for a heart, so far as Waldron knew.  Had Sabina been no more than engaged, he must strongly have urged Raymond to drop her and endure the harsh criticism that would have followed:  for an engagement broken appeared a lesser evil than an unhappy mating; but since the position was complicated, he could not feel so and stoutly upheld the marriage on principle, while extremely doubtful of its practical outcome.

They talked for two hours to no purpose and then Estelle called them to tea.

CHAPTER XXII

THE TELEGRAM

Raymond and Sabina spent a long afternoon at the house they had taken; and while he was interested with the stables and garden, she occupied herself indoors.  She was very tired before they had finished, and presently, returning to Bridport, they called at ‘The Seven Stars’ and ordered tea.

The famous garden was dismantled now and Job Legg spent some daily hours in digging there.  To-morrow Job was to hear what Mrs. Northover had to say concerning his proposal, and, meantime, the pending decision neither unsettled him nor interfered with his usual placidity and enterprise.

Nelly Northover herself waited upon the engaged couple.  She was somewhat abstracted with her own thoughts, but so far banished them that she could show and feel interest in the visitors.  Raymond described the house, and Sabina, glad to see Raymond in a cheerful mood, expatiated on the charms of her future home.