I had to take care of the mastiff and retriever.  When Janet came to look at them she called them by their names; of course they followed me in preference to her; she cried with jealousy.  We had a downright quarrel.  Lady Ilchester invited me to spend a day at her house, Charley being home for his Midsummer holidays.  Charley, Janet, and I fished the river for trout, and Janet, to flatter me (of which I was quite aware), while I dressed her rod as if she was likely to catch something, talked of Heriot, and then said: 

’Oh! dear, we are good friends, aren’t we?  Charley says we shall marry one another some day, but mama’s such a proud woman she won’t much like your having such a father as you ’ve got unless he ’s dead by that time and I needn’t go up to him to be kissed.’

I stared at the girl in wonderment, but not too angrily, for I guessed that she was merely repeating her brother’s candid speculations upon the future.  I said:  ’Now mind what I tell you, Janet:  I forgive you this once, for you are an ignorant little girl and know no better.  Speak respectfully of my father or you never see me again.’

Here Charley sang out:  ’Hulloa! you don’t mean to say you’re talking of your father.’

Janet whimpered that I had called her an ignorant little girl.  If she had been silent I should have pardoned her.  The meanness of the girl in turning on me when the glaring offence was hers, struck me as contemptible beyond words.  Charley and I met half way.  He advised me not to talk to his sister of my father.  They all knew, he said, that it was no fault of mine, and for his part, had he a rascal for a father, he should pension him and cut him; to tell the truth, no objection against me existed in his family except on the score of the sort of father I owned to, and I had better make up my mind to shake him off before I grew a man; he spoke as a friend.  I might frown at him and clench my fists, but he did speak as a friend.

Janet all the while was nibbling a biscuit, glancing over it at me with mouse-eyes.  Her short frock and her greediness, contrasting with the talk of my marrying her, filled me with renewed scorn, though my heart was sick at the mention of my father.  I asked her what she knew of him.  She nibbled her biscuit, mumbling, ’He went to Riversley, pretending he was a singing-master.  I know that’s true, and more.’

‘Oh, and a drawing-master, and a professor of legerdemain,’ added her brother.  ‘Expunge him, old fellow; he’s no good.’

‘No, I’m sure he’s no good,’ said Janet.

I took her hand, and told her, ’You don’t know how you hurt me; but you’re a child:  you don’t know anything about the world.  I love my father, remember that, and what you want me to do is mean and disgraceful; but you don’t know better.  I would forfeit everything in the world for him.  And when you’re of age to marry, marry anybody you like—­you won’t marry me.  And good-bye, Janet.  Think of learning your lessons, and not of marrying.  I can’t help laughing.’  So I said, but without the laughter.  Her brother tried hard to get me to notice him.