“Perfectly, but Lady Vernon——­”

“And you will perceive that we are within our rights in disposing of Dorothy as we wish,” she continued.  “Of course, she will consent to it in time.”

“Never,” returned Manners, stoutly.

“You are but a youth, therefore you are bold, but mark my words, young man, you will have less faith and more caution as your years come on.”

“Will you accept Dorothy’s choice?” asked Manners bluntly, disregarding the last remark.

“Do you suppose, Master Manners,” replied Lady Vernon, “that Dorothy will withstand us?  We are all agreed in the matter.”

“All except Dorothy, maybe.”

“And she will soon——­”

“I tell you never!” he replied hotly.

Lady Vernon laughed; a light, incredulous sort of laugh, which only tended to enstrange them farther still.

“There are considerations of which you appear to be ignorant, sir,” she replied, “but I am not willing to wound your feelings.”

“That may be, and yet, perchance, there may be somewhat to be said on the other side,” he calmly rejoined.

Lady Vernon fixed her eyes upon him, astounded at his presumption, but instead of crushing him under an avalanche of her wrath, she restrained herself, and broke into another superficial burst of laughter.

“Pooh,” she said, “you are simply an esquire, and he is a knight.”

“And he a knight,” echoed Dorothy’s lover, scornfully.  “As if he were aught the better for that.”

“A knight is a knight,” replied the lady stiffly; “and he is the son of an earl.”

“And I, by the favour of fortune, am the nephew of an earl; and, moreover, Dorothy and I have plighted our troth together.”

“Then you were over bold.”

“I might accept your decision for myself, Lady Vernon,” he said; “indeed, I had done so ere now, but Dorothy’s happiness is at stake as well as mine.”

“You accept it perforce, then?”

“Nay, I will abide by Dorothy’s decision alone.  She shall have the ruling of it, and I know what she will say.”

“I must be plain with you, Master Manners,” said Lady Maude, with considerable asperity.  “It can never, no, never be as you desire.  We have other designs for Dorothy than that she should marry a soldier of fortune.  Her portion,” she continued, curling her lips in scorn, “is a half of the whole estate of Haddon, which, you must admit, is no small dowry; and what have you to set against that?  Your lands would not maintain yourself alone,” and, having delivered herself thus, she cast a triumphant glance upon the young man who stood before her.

“I may win renown,” he quickly replied.

“You possibly might,” she replied, with another contemptuous curl of her lip, “but that is a shadow, a mere myth.  Besides, you can put no value on fame; you cannot even live upon it.”

“I have a true and loving heart, and a strong arm.”