‘It seems to me, sir,’ said his son, ’that things very seldom do go quite comfortable.’

’But, Fred what is it all about?  Your mother says that Miss Amedroz is behaving very badly.’

‘And Miss Amedroz says that my mother is behaving very badly.’

‘Of course that’s only natural.  And what do you say?’

‘I say nothing, sir.  The less said the soonest mended.’

’That’s all very well; but it seems to me that you, in your position, must say something.  The long and the short of it is this.  Is she to be your wife?’

‘Upon my word, sir, I don’t know.’

They were still standing out under the portico, and as Sir Anthony did not for a minute or two ask any further questions, Captain Aylmer turned as though he were going into the house.  But his father had still a word or two to say.  Stop a moment, Fred. I don’t often trouble you with advice.’

‘I’m sure I’m always glad to hear it when you offer any.’

’I know very well that in most things your opinion is better than mine.  You’ve had advantages which I never had.  But I’ve had more experience than you, my dear boy.  It stands to reason that in some things I must have had more experience than you.’  There was a tone of melancholy in the father’s voice as he said this which quite touched his son, and which brought the two closer together out in the porch.  ’Take my word for it,’ continued Sir Anthony, ’that you are much better off as you are than you could be with a wife.’

‘Do you mean to say that no man should marry?’

’No I don’t mean to say that.  An eldest son ought to marry, so that the property may have an heir.  And poor men should marry, I suppose, as they want wives to do for them.  And sometimes, no doubt, a man must marry when he has got to be very fond of a girl, and has compromised himself, and all that kind of thing.  I would never advise any man to sully his honour.’  As Sir Anthony said this he raised himself a little with his two sticks and spoke out in a bolder voice.  The voice however, sank again as he descended from the realms of honour to those of prudence.  ’But none of these cases are yours, Fred. To be sure you’ll have the Perivale property; but that is not a family estate, and you’ll be much better off by turning it into money.  And in the way of comfort, you can be a great deal more comfortable without a wife than you can with one.  What do you want a wife for?  And then, as to Miss Amedroz for myself I must say that I like her uncommonly.  She has been very pleasant in her ways with me.  But somehow or another, I don’t think you are so much in love with her but what you can do without her.’  Hereupon he paused and looked his son full in the face.  Fred had also been thinking of the matter in his own way, and asking himself the same question whether he was in truth so much in love with Clara that he could not live without her.  ‘Of course I don’t know,’ continued Sir Anthony, ’