“Harry has paid a visit to these neighbors of ours,” said she, “these Goodwins, and I think, now that he has come home, it would be only prudent on our part to renew the intimacy that was between us.  Not that I like, or ever will like, a bone in one of their bodies; but it’s only right that we should foil them at their own weapons, and try to get back the property into the hands of one of the family at least, if we can, and so prevent it from going to strangers.  I am determined to pay them a friendly visit tomorrow.”

“A friendly visit!” exclaimed her husband, with an expression of surprise and indignation on his countenance which he could not conceal; “how can you say a friendly visit, after having just told us that you neither like them, nor ever will like them? not that it was at all necessary for you to assure us of that.  It is, however, the hypocrisy of the thing on your part that startle? and disgusts me.”

“Call it prudence, if you please, Lindsay, or worldly wisdom, if you like, after all the best kind of wisdom; and I only wish you had more of it.”

“That makes no difference in life,” replied her husband, calmly, but severely; “as it is, you have enough, and more than enough for the whole family.”

“But has Harry any hopes of success with Alice Goodwin,” asked Charles, “because everything depends on that?”

“If he had not, you foolish boy, do you think I would be the first to break the ice by going to pay them a visit?  The girl, I dare say, will make a very good wife, or if she does not, the property will not be a pound less in value on that account; that’s one comfort.”

“And is it upon this hollow and treacherous principle that you are about to pay them a friendly visit?” asked her husband, with ill-repressed indignation.

“Lindsay,” she replied, sharply, “I perceive you are rife for a quarrel now; but I beg to tell you, sir, that I will neither seek your approbation nor regard your authority.  I must manage these people after my own fashion.”

“Harry,” said his step-father, turning abruptly, and with incredulous surprise to him, “surely it is not possible that you are a party to such a shameful imposture upon this excellent family?”

His brother Charles fastened his eyes upon him as if he would read his heart.

“I am sorry, sir,” replied that gentleman, “that you should think it necessary to apply the word imposture to any’ proceeding of mine.  You ought to know my mother’s outspoken way, and that her heart is kinder than her language.  The fact is, from the first moment I saw that beautiful girl I felt a warm interest in her, and I feel that interest increasing every day.  I certainly am very anxious to secure her for her own sake, whilst I candidly admit that I am not wholly indifferent to the property.  I am only a common man like others, and not above the world and its influences—­who can be that lives in it?  My mother, besides, will come to think better of Alice, and all of them, when she shall be enabled to call Alice daughter; won’t you, mother?”