“Yes; when I have remembered how often I used to be here, my absence has seemed long and strange.”

“It has been a source of great grief to me.”

“And to me, Mrs. Clavering.”

“But, as circumstances then were, in truth it could not be avoided.  Common prudence made it necessary.  Don’t you think so, Mr. Saul?”

“If you ask me, I must answer according to my own ideas.  Common prudence should not have made it necessary—­at least not according to my view of things.  Common prudence, with different people, means such different things!  But I am not going to quarrel with your ideas of common prudence, Mrs. Clavering.”

Mrs. Clavering had begun badly, and was aware of it.  She should have said nothing about the past.  She had foreseen, from the first, the danger of doing so, but had been unable to rush at once into the golden future.  “I hope we shall have no more quarrelling, at any rate,” she said.

“There shall be none on my part.  Only, Mrs. Clavering, you must not suppose, from my saying so, that I intend to give up my pretensions.  A word from your daughter would make me do so, but no words from any one else.”

“She ought to be very proud of such constancy on your part, Mr. Saul, and I have no doubt she will be.”  Mr. Saul did not understand this, and made no reply to it.  “I don’t know whether you have heard that Mr. Clavering intends to—­give up the living.”

“I have not heard it.  I have thought it probable that he would do so.”

“He has made up his mind that he will.  The fact is that if he held it, he must neglect either that or the property.”  We will not stop at this moment to examine what Mr. Saul’s ideas must have been as to the exigencies of the property, which would leave no time for the performance of such clerical duties as had fallen for some years past to the share of the rector himself.  “He hopes that he may be allowed to take some part in the services, but he means to resign the living.”

“I suppose that will not much affect me for the little time that I have to remain.”

“We think it will affect you, and hope that it may.  Mr. Clavering wishes you to accept the living.”

“To accept the living?” And for a moment even Mr. Saul looked as though he were surprised.

“Yes, Mr. Saul.”

“To be rector of Clavering?”

“If you see no objection to such an arrangement.”

“It is a most munificent offer, but as strange as it is munificent.  Unless, indeed—­” And then some glimpse of the truth made its way into the chinks of Mr. Saul’s mind.

“Mr. Clavering would, no doubt, have made the offer to you himself had it not been that I can, perhaps, speak to you about dear Fanny better than he could.  Though our prudence has not been quite to your mind, you can, at any rate, understand that we might very much object to her marrying you when there was nothing for you to live on, even though we had no objection to yourself personally.”