That had been said early in the morning, when they first knew that he had arrived; but they had been talking about him ever since talking about him under pressure from Mrs Askerton, till Clara had been driven to long that she might be spared.  ’If he chooses to come, he will come,’ she said.  ‘Of course he will come,’ Mrs Askerton had answered, and then they heard the ring of the hell.  ’There he is.  I could swear to the sound of his foot.  Doesn’t he step as though he were Belton of Belton, and conscious that everything belonged to him?’ Then there was a pause.  ’He has been shown in to Colonel Askerton.  What on earth could he want with him?’

‘He has called to tell him something about the cottage,’ said Clara, endeavouring to speak as though she were calm through it all.

’Cottage!  Fiddlestick!  The idea of a man coming to look after his trumpery cottage on the first day of his showing himself as lord of his own property!  Perhaps he is demanding that you shall be delivered up to him.  If he does I shall vote for obeying.’

‘And I for disobeying and shall vote very strongly too.’

Their suspense was yet prolonged for another ten minutes, and at the end of that time the servant came in and asked if Miss Amedroz would be good enough to go into the master’s room.  ‘Mr Belton is there, Fanny?’ asked Mrs Askerton.  The girl confessed that Mr Belton was there, and then Clara, without another word, got up and left the room.  She had much to do in assuming a look of composure before she opened the door; but she made the effort, and was not unsuccessful.  In another second she found her hand in her cousin’s, and his bright eye was fixed upon her with that eager friendly glance which made his face so pleasant to those whom he loved.

’Your cousin has been telling me of the arrangements he has been making for you with the lawyers,’ said Colonel Askerton.  ’I can only say that I wish all the ladies had cousins so liberal, and so able to be liberal.’

’I thought I would see Colonel Askerton first, as you are staying at his house.  And as for liberality there is nothing of the kind.  You must understand, Clara, that a fellow can’t do what he likes with his own in this country.  I have found myself so bullied by lawyers and that sort of people, that I have been obliged to yield to them.  I wanted that you should have the old place, to do just what you pleased with It.’

‘That was out of the question, Will.’

‘Of course it was,’ said Colonel Askerton.  Then, as Belton himself did not proceed to the telling of his own story, the colonel told it for him, and explained what was the income which Clara was to receive.

‘But that is as much out of the question,’ said she, ’as the other.  I cannot rob you in that way.  I cannot and I shall not.  And why should I?  What do I want with an income?  Something I ought to have, if only for the credit of the family, and that I am willing to take from your kindness; but’