After much consideration very much consideration, a consideration which took him the whole time that he was brushing his hair and washing his teeth he resolved that he would, in the first instance, speak to Mr Amedroz.  Not that he intended that the father should win the daughter for him.  He had an idea that he would like to do that work for himself.  But he thought that the old squire would be better pleased if his consent were asked in the first instance.  The present day was Sunday, and he would not speak on the subject till Monday.  This day he would devote to the work of securing his future father-in-law’s good opinion; to that and to his prayers.

And he had gained very much upon Mr Amedroz before the evening of the day was over.  He was a man before whom difficulties seemed to yield, and who had his own way simply because he had become accustomed to ask for it to ask for it and to work for it.  He had so softened the squire’s tone of thought towards him, that the future stocking of the land was spoken of between them with something like energy on both sides; and Mr Amedroz had given his consent, without any difficulty, to the building of a shed for winter stall-feeding.  Clara sat by listening, and perceived that Will Belton would soon be allowed to do just what he pleased with the place.  Her father talked as she had not heard him talk since her poor brother’s death, and was quite animated on the subject of woodcraft.  ’We don’t know much about timber down where I am,’ said Will, ‘just because we’ve got no trees.’

‘I’ll show you your way,’ said the old man.  ’I’ve managed the timber on the estate myself for the last forty years.’  Will Belton of course did not say a word as to the gross mismanagement which had been apparent even to him.  What a cousin he was!  Clara thought what a paragon among cousins!  And then he was so manifestly safe against love-making!  So safe, that he only cared to talk about timber, and oxen, and fences, and winter-forage!  But it was all just as it ought to be; and if her father did not call him Will before long, she herself would set the way by doing so first.  A very paragon among cousins!

‘What a flatterer you are,’ she said to him that night.

‘A flatterer!  I?’

’Yes, you.  You have flattered papa out of all his animosity already.  I shall be jealous soon; for he’ll think more of you than of me.’

‘I hope he’ll come to think of us as being nearly equally near to him,’ said Belton, with a tone that was half serious and half tender.  Now that he had made up his mind, he could not keep his hand from the work before him an instant.  But Clara had also made up her mind, and would not be made to think that her cousin could mean anything that was more than cousinly.

‘Upon my word,’ she said, laughing, ‘that is very cool on your part.’

‘I came here determined to be friends with him at any rate.’

’And you did so without any thought of me.  But you said you would be my brother, and I shall not forget your promise.  Indeed, indeed, I cannot tell you how glad I am that you have come both for papa’s sake and my own.  You have done him so much good that I only dread to think that you are going so soon.’