circumstances, when the ordinary routine of life has been disturbed!  If she had simply been his cousin, and if he had never regarded her otherwise, how happily could he have done all this!  As things now were, if it was left to him to do, he should do it, with what patience and grace might be within his power; he would do it, though he would be mindful every moment of the bitterness of the transfer which he would so soon be obliged to make; but he doubted whether it would not be better for Clara’s sake that the transfer should be made overnight.  He would take her up to London, because in that way he could be useful; and then he would go away and hide himself.  ‘Has Captain Aylmer said where he would meet you?’ he asked after a pause.

‘Of course I must write and tell him.’

‘And is he to come to you when you reach London?’

’He has said nothing about that.  ’He will probably be at the House of
Commons, or too busy somewhere to come to me then.  But why do you ask? 
Do you wish to hurry through town?’

‘Oh dear, no.’

’Or perhaps you have friends you want to see.  Pray don’t let me be in your way.  I shall do very well, you know.’

Belton rebuked her by a look before he answered her.  ’I was only thinking,’ he said, ’of what would be most convenient for yourself.  I have nobody to see, and nothing to do, and nowhere to go to.’  Then Clara understood it all, and said that she would write to Captain Aylmer and ask him, to join them at the hotel.

She determined that she would see Mrs Askerton before she went; and as that lady did not come to the Castle, Clara called upon her at the cottage.  This she did the day before she left, and she took her cousin with her.  Belton had been at the cottage once or twice since the day on which Mrs Askerton had explained to him how the Aylmer alliance might be extinguished, but Colonel Askerton had always been there, and no reference had been made to the former conversation.  Colonel Askerton was not there now, and Belton was almost afraid that words would be spoken to which he would hardly know how to listen.

‘And so you are really going?’ said Mrs Askerton.

‘Yes; we start tomorrow,’ said Clara.

‘I am not thinking of the journey to London,’ said Mrs Askerton, ’but of the danger and privations of your subsequent progress to the North.’

‘I shall do very well.  I am not afraid that any one will eat me.’

’There are so many different ways of eating people!  Are there not, Mr Belton?’

’I don’t know about eating, but there are a great many ways of boring people,’ said he.

’And I should think they will be great at that kind of thing at Aylmer Castle.  One never hears of Sir Anthony, but I can fancy Lady Aylmer to be a terrible woman.’

‘I shall manage to hold my own, I dare say,’ said Clara.

‘I hope you will; I do hope you will,’ said Mrs Askerton.  ’I don’t know whether you will be powerful to do so, or whether you will fail; my heart is not absolute; but I do know what will be the result if you are successful.’