’He has a great affection for you, Nevil, though you know he spares no one who chooses to be antagonistic.  All that is over.  But do you not second him, Nevil?  You admire her?  You are not adverse?’

Beauchamp signified the horrid intermixture of yes and no, frowned in pain of mind, and Walked up and down.  ’There’s no living woman I admire so much.’

‘She has refused the highest matches.’

‘I hold her in every way incomparable.’

’She tries to understand your political ideas, if she cannot quite sympathize with them, Nevil.  And consider how hard it is for a young English lady, bred in refinement, to understand such things.’

‘Yes,’ Beauchamp nodded; yes.  Well, more ‘s the pity for me!’

‘Ah!  Nevil, that fatal Renee!’

’Ma’am, I acquit you of any suspicion of your having read her letter in this pocket-book.  She wishes me to marry.  You would have seen it written here.  She wishes it.’

‘Fly, clipped wing!’ murmured Rosamund, and purposely sent a buzz into her ears to shut out his extravagant talk of Renee’s friendly wishes.

‘How is it you women will not believe in the sincerity of a woman!’ he exclaimed.

‘Nevil, I am not alluding to the damage done to your election.’

’To my candidature, ma’am.  You mean those rumours, those lies of the enemy.  Tell me how I could suppose you were alluding to them.  You bring them forward now to justify your charge of “fatal” against her.  She has one fault; she wants courage; she has none other, not one that is not excuseable.  We won’t speak of France.  What did her father say?’

’Colonel Halkett?  I do not know.  He and his daughter come here next week, and the colonel will expect to meet you here.  That does not look like so positive an objection to you?’

‘To me personally, no,’ said Beauchamp.  ’But Mr. Romfrey has not told me that I am to meet them.’

’Perhaps he has not thought it worth while.  It is not his way.  He has asked you to come.  You and Miss Halkett will be left to yourselves.  Her father assured Mr. Romfrey that he should not go beyond advising her.  His advice might not be exactly favourable to you at present, but if you sued and she accepted—­and she would, I am convinced she would; she was here with me, talking of you a whole afternoon, and I have eyes—­then he would not oppose the match, and then I should see you settled, the husband of the handsomest wife and richest heiress in England.’

A vision of Cecilia swam before him, gracious in stateliness.