‘If a man owes money of course he ought to pay it.’

‘But he doesn’t owe it, Will.  It is intended for generosity.’

‘You don’t want anybody’s generosity, certainly.’  Then he reflected that Clara must, after all, depend entirely on the generosity of some one till she was married; and he wanted to explain to her that everything he had in the world was at her service was indeed her own.  Or he would have explained, if he knew how, that he did not intend to take advantage of the entail that the Belton estate should belong to her as the natural heir of her father.  But he conceived that the moment for explaining this had hardly as yet arrived, and that he bad better confine himself to some attempt at teaching her that no extraneous assistance would be necessary to her, ‘In money matters,’ said he, ’of course you are to look to me.  That is a matter of course.  I’ll see Green about the other affairs.  Green and I are friends.  We’ll settle it.’

‘That’s not what I meant, Will.’

’But it’s what I mean.  This is one of those things in which a man has to act on his own judgment.  Your father and I understood each other.’

‘He did not understand that I was to accept your bounty.’

’Bounty is a nasty word, and I hate it.  You accepted me as your brother, and as such I mean to act.’  The word almost stuck in his throat, but be brought it out at last in a fierce tone, of which she understood accurately the cause and meaning.  ’All money matters about the place must be settled by me.  Indeed, that’s why I came down.’

‘Not only for that, Will?’

‘Just to be useful in that way, I mean.’

‘You came to see me because you knew I should want you.’  Surely this was malice prepense!  Knowing what was his want, how could she exasperate it by talking thus of her own?  ’As for money, I have no claim on any one.  No creature was ever more forlorn.  But I will not talk of that.’

‘Did you not say that you would treat me as a brother?’

‘I did not mean that I was to be a burden on you.’

‘I know what I meant, and that is sufficient.’  Belton had been at the house some hours before he made any signs of leaving her, and when he did so he had to explain something of his plans.  He would remain, he said, for about a week in the neighbourhood.

She of course was obliged to ask him to stay at the house at the house which was in fact his own; but he declined to do this, blurting out his reason at last very plainly.  ’Captain Aylmer would not like it, and I suppose you are bound to think of what he likes and dislikes.’  ’I don’t know what right Captain Aylmer would have to dislike any such thing,’ said Clara.  But, nevertheless, she allowed the reason to pass as current, and did not press her invitation.  Will declared that he would stay at the inn at Redicote,, striving to explain in some very unintelligible manner that such an arrangement would be very convenient.  He would remain at Redicote, and would come over to Belton every day during his sojourn in the country.  Then he asked one question in a low whisper as to the last sad ceremony, and, having received an answer, started off with the declared intention of calling on Colonel Askerton.