But the difficulty of the circumstances in which he was placed was so great, that it was almost impossible for him to make up his mind fixedly to any purpose in reference to Clara.  As he passed through London on his way to Belton he called at Mr Green’s chambers with reference to that sum of fifteen hundred pounds, which it was now absolutely necessary that he should make over to Miss Amedroz, and from Mr Green he learned that William Belton had given positive instructions as to the destination of the Belton estate.  He would not inherit it, or have anything to do with it under the entail from the effects of which he desired to be made entirely free.  Mr Green, who knew that Captain Aylmer was engaged to marry his client, and who knew nothing of any interruption to that agreement, felt no hesitation in explaining all this to Captain Aylmer.  ‘I suppose you had heard of it before,’ said Mr Green.  Captain Aylmer certainly had heard of it, and had been very much struck by the idea; but up to this moment he had not quite believed in it.  Coming simply from William Belton to Clara Amedroz, such an offer might be no more than a strong argument used in love- making.  ’Take back the property, but take me with it, of course.’  That Captain Aylmer thought might have been the correct translation of Mr William Belton’s romance.  But he was forced to look at the matter differently when he found that it had been put into a lawyer’s hands.  ‘Yes,’ said he,’ I have heard of it.  Mr Belton mentioned it to me himself.’  This was not strictly true.  Clara had mentioned it to him; but Belton had come into the room immediately afterwards, and Captain Aylmer might probably have been mistaken.

‘He’s quite in earnest,’ said Mr Green.

’Of course, I can say nothing, Mr Green, as I am myself so nearly interested in the matter.  It is a great question, no doubt, how far such an entail as that should be allowed to operate.’

’I think it should stand, as a matter of course.  I think Belton is wrong,’ said Mr Green.

‘Of course I can give no opinion,’ said the other.

’I’ll tell you what you can do, Captain Aylmer.  You can suggest to Miss Amedroz that there should be a compromise.  Let them divide it.  They are both clients of mine, and in that way I shall do my duty to each.  Let them divide it.  Belton has money enough to buy up the other moiety, and in that way would still be Belton of Belton.’

Captain Aylmer had not the slightest objection to such a plan.  Indeed, he regarded it as in all respects a wise and salutary arrangement.  The moiety of the Belton estate might probably be worth twenty-five thousand pounds, and the addition of such a sum as that to his existing means would make all the difference in the world as to the expediency of his marriage.  His father’s arguments would all fall to the ground if twenty-five thousand pounds were to be obtained in this way; and he had but little doubt that such a change in affairs would go far to