‘It seems all settled now,’ said Mr. Gibson, more in reply to his own thoughts than to the squire’s remark.

‘Yes!’ said the squire; ’and they’re not going to let the grass grow under his feet.  He’s to be off as soon as he can get his scientific traps ready.  I almost wish he wasn’t to go.  You don’t seem quite to like it, doctor?’

‘Yes I do,’ said Mr. Gibson in a more cheerful tone than before.  ’It can’t be helped now without doing a mischief,’ thought he to himself.  ’Why, squire, I think it’s a great honour to have such a son.  I envy you, that’s what I do.  Here’s a lad of three or four and twenty distinguishing himself in more ways than one, and as simple and affectionate at home as any fellow need to be—­not a bit set up.’

’Ay, ay; he’s twice as much a son to me as Osborne, who has been all his life set up on nothing at all, as one may say.

’Come, squire, I must not hear anything against Osborne; we may praise one, without hitting at the other.  Osborne has not had the strong health which has enabled Roger to work as he has done.  I met a man who knew his tutor at Trinity the other day, and of course we began cracking about Roger—­it’s not every day that one can reckon a senior wrangler amongst one’s friends, and I’m nearly as proud of the lad as you are.  This Mr. Mason told me the tutor said that only half of Roger’s success was owing to his mental powers; the other half was owing to his perfect health, which enabled him to work harder and more continuously than most men without suffering.  He said that in all his experience he had never known any one with an equal capacity for mental labour; and that he could come again with a fresh appetite to his studies after shorter intervals of rest than most.  Now I, being a doctor, trace a good deal of his superiority to the material cause of a thoroughly good constitution, which Osborne has not got.’

‘Osborne might have if he got out o’ doors more,’ said the squire, moodily; ’but except when he can loaf into Hollingford he does not care to go out at all.  I hope,’ he continued, with a glance of sudden suspicion at Mr. Gibson, ’he’s not after one of your girls?  I don’t mean any offence, you know; but he’ll have the estate, and it won’t be free, and he must marry money.  I don’t think I could allow it in Roger; but Osborne is the eldest son, you know.’

Mr. Gibson reddened; he was offended for a moment.  Then the partial truth of what the squire said was presented to his mind, and he remembered their old friendship, so he spoke quietly, if shortly.

’I don’t believe there’s anything of the kind going on.  I’m not much at home, you know; but I’ve never heard or seen anything that should make me suppose that there is.  When I do, I’ll let you know.’

’Now, Gibson, don’t go and be offended.  I am glad for the boys to have a pleasant house to go to, and I thank you and Mrs. Gibson for making it pleasant.  Only keep off love; it can come to no good.  That’s all.  I don’t believe Osborne will ever earn a farthing to keep a wife during my life, and if I were to die to-morrow, she would have to bring some money to clear the estate.  And if I do speak as I should not have done formerly—­a little sharp or so—­why, it’s because I’ve been worried by many a care no one knows anything of.’