Florence declared that the story would be sacred with her.

“I’m sure of that, dear, and therefore I like you to know it.  Of course such a thing was quite out of the question.  The poor fellow has no means at all—­literally, none.  And then independently of that—­”

“I don’t think I should ever bring myself to think of that as the first thing,” said Florence.

“No, nor would I. If I really were attached to a man, I think I would tell him so, and agree to wait, either with hope or without it.”

“Just so, Fanny.”

“But there was nothing of that kind; and, indeed, he’s the sort of man that no girl would think of being in love with—­isn’t he?  You see he will hardly take the trouble to dress himself decently.”

“I have only seen him at a wedding, you know.”

“And for him he was quite bright.  But you will see plenty of him if you will go to the schools with me.  And indeed he comes here a great deal, quite as much as he did before that happened.  He is so good, Florence!”

“Poor man!”

“I can’t in the least make out from his manner whether he has given up thinking about it.  I suppose he has.  Indeed, of course he has, because he must know that it would be of no sort of use.  But he is one of those men of whom you can never say whether they are happy or not; and you never can be quite sure what may be in his mind.”

“He is not bound to the place at all—­not like your father?”

“Oh, no,” said Fanny, thinking perhaps that Mr. Saul might find himself to be bound to the place, though not exactly with bonds similar to those which kept her father there.

“If he found himself to be unhappy, he could go,” said Florence.

“Oh, yes; he could go if he were unhappy,” said Fanny.  “That is, he could go if he pleased.”

Lady Clavering had come to the wedding; but no one else had been present from the great house.  Sir Hugh, indeed, was not at home; but, as the rector truly observed, he might have been at home if he had so pleased.  “But he is a man,” said the father to the son, “who always does a rude thing if it be in his power.  For myself, I care nothing for him, as he knows.  But he thinks that Mary would have liked to have seen him as the head of the family, and therefore he does not come.  He has greater skill in making himself odious than any man I ever knew.  As for her, they say he’s leading her a terrible life.  And he’s becoming so stingy about money, too!”

“I hear that Archie is very heavy on him.”

“I don’t believe that he would allow any man to be heavy on him, as you call it.  Archie has means of his own, and I suppose has not run through them yet.  If Hugh has advanced him money, you may be sure that he has security.  As for Archie, he will come to an end very soon, if what I hear is true.  They tell me he is always at Newmarket, and he always loses.”