‘But I needn’t marry at all.’

’And what would you live on then?  Come Clara, we needn’t quarrel about that.  I’ve no doubt he’s charming, and beautiful, and’

‘He isn’t beautiful at all; and as for charming’

‘He has charmed you at any rate.’

’He has made me believe that I can trust him without doubt, and love him without fear.’

’An excellent man!  And the income will be an additional comfort; you’ll allow that?’

‘I’ll allow nothing.’

‘And when is it to be?’

‘Oh perhaps in six or seven years.’

‘Clara!’

‘Perhaps sooner; but there’s been no word said about time.’

‘Is not Mr Amedroz delighted?’

‘Not a bit.  He quite scolded me when I told him.’

‘Why what did he want?’

‘You know papa.’

’I know he scolds at everything, but I shouldn’t have thought he would have scolded at that.  And when does he come here?’

‘Who come here?’

‘Captain Aylmer.’

‘I don’t know that he is coming at all.’

‘He must come to be married.’

’All that is in the clouds as yet.  I did not like to tell you, but you mustn’t suppose that because I’ve told you, everything is settled.  Nothing is settled.’

‘Nothing except the one thing?’

‘Nothing else.’

It was more than an hour after that before Clara went away, and when she did so she was surprised to find that she was followed out of the house by Colonel Askerton.  It was quite dusk at this time, the days being just at their shortest, and Colonel Askerton, according to his custom, would have been riding, or returning from his ride.  Clara had been over two hours at the cottage, and had been aware when she reached it that be had not as yet gone out.  It appeared now that he had not ridden at all, and, as she remembered to have seen his horse led before the window, it at once occurred to her that he had remained at home with the view of catching her as she went away.  He came up to her just as she was passing through the gate, and offered her his right hand as he raised his hat with his left.  It sometimes happens to all of us in life that we become acquainted with persons intimately that is, with an assumed intimacy whom in truth we do not know at all.  We meet such persons frequently, often eating and drinking in their company, being familiar with their appearance, and well-informed generally as to their concerns; but we never find ourselves holding special conversations with them, or in any way fitting the modes of our life to the modes of their life.  Accident has brought us together, and in one sense they are our friends.  We should probably do any little kindness for them, or expect the same from them; but there is nothing in common between us, and there is generally a mutual though unexpressed agreement that there shall be nothing in common.  Miss Amedroz was intimately acquainted with Colonel Askerton after this fashion.  She saw him very frequently, and his name was often on her tongue; but she rarely, if ever, conversed with him, and knew of his habits only from his wife’s words respecting them.  When, therefore, he followed her through the garden gate into the park, she was driven to suppose that he had something special to say to her.