Howard and Mr. Sandys started off through the wood.  Mr. Sandys was full of communications.  He began to talk about Guthrie.  “Such a good friend for Jack!” he said; “I hope he bears a good character in the college?  Jack seems to be very much taken up with him, and says there is no nonsense about him—­almost the highest commendation he has in his power to bestow—­indeed I have heard him use the same phrase about yourself!  Young Guthrie seems such a natural and unaffected fellow—­indeed, if I may say so, Howard, it seemed to me a high compliment to yourself, and to speak volumes for your easy relation with young men, that he should have ventured to take you off to your face just now, and that you should have been so sincerely amused.  It isn’t as if he were a cheeky sort of boy—­if I may be allowed such an expression.  He treats me with the pleasantest deference and respect—­and when I think of his father’s wealth and political influence, that seems to me a charming trait!  There is nothing uppish about him.”

“No, indeed,” said Howard; “he is a thoroughly nice fellow!”

“I am delighted to hear you say so,” said Mr. Sandys, “and your kindness emboldens me to say something which is quite confidential; but then we are practically relations, are we not?  Perhaps it is only a father’s partiality; but have you noticed, may I say, anything in his manner to my dear Maud?  It may be only a passing fancy, of course.  ‘In the spring,’ you remember, ’a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love’—­a beautiful line that, though of course it is not strictly applicable to the end of July.  I need hardly say that such a connection would gladden my heart.  I am all for marriage, Howard, for early marriage, the simplest and best of human experiences; of course it has more sides than one to it.  I should not like it to be supposed that a country parson like myself had in the smallest degree inveigled a young man of the highest prospects into a match—­there is nothing of the matchmaker about me; but Maud is in a degree well-connected; and, as you know, she will be what the country people here call ’well-left’—­a terse phrase, but expressive!  I do not see that she would be in any way unworthy of the position—­and I feel that her life here is a little secluded—­I should like her to have a little richer material, so to speak, to work in.  Well, well, we mustn’t be too diplomatic about these things.  ’Man proposes’—­no humorous suggestion intended—­’and God disposes’—­but if it should so turn out, without any scheming or management—­things which I cordially detest—­if it should open out naturally, why, I should be lacking in candour if I pretended it would not please me.  I believe in early engagements, and romance, and all that—­I fear I am terribly sentimental—­and it is just the thing to keep a young man straight.  Sir Henry Guthrie might be disposed to view it in that light—­what do you think?”