’It is a long time for me to be away from home.  Farmers can hardly ever dare to leave their work.  But in spite of my farm, I am talking of coming here again about Christmas.’

‘But you are going to have a farming establishment here too?’

’That will be nothing.  Clara will look after that for me; will you not?’ Then they went, and Belton had to consider how he would begin the work before him.  He had some idea that too much precipitancy might do him an injury, but he hardly knew how to commence without coming to the point at once.  When they were out together in the park, he went back at first to the subject of Mrs Askerton.

‘I would almost have sworn they were one and the same woman,’ he said.

‘But you see that they are not.’

’It’s not only the likeness, but the voice.  It so chanced that I once saw that Miss Vigo in some trouble.  I happened to meet her in company with a man who was who was tipsy, in fact, and I had to relieve her.’

‘Dear me how disagreeable!’

’It’s a long time ago, and there can’t be any harm in mentioning it now.  It was the man she was going to marry, and whom she did marry.’

‘What the Mr Berdmore?’

’Yes; he was often in that way.  And there was a look about Mrs Askerton just now so like the look of that Miss Vigo then, that I cannot get rid of the idea.’

’They can’t be the same, as she was certainly a Miss Oliphant.  And you hear, too, what she says.’

‘Yes I heard what she said.  You have known her long?’

‘These two years.’

’And intimately?

’Very intimately.  She is our only neighbour; and her being here has certainly been a great comfort to me.  It is sad not having some woman near one that one can speak to and then, I really do like her very much.’

‘No doubt it’s all right.’

‘Yes; it’s all right,’ said Clara.  After that there was nothing more said about Mrs Askerton, and Belton began his work.  They had gone from the cottage, across the park, away from the house, up to a high rock which stood boldly out of the ground, from whence could be seen the sea on one side, and on the other a far track of country almost away to the moors.  And when they reached this spot they seated themselves.  ‘There,’ said Clara, ‘I consider this to be the prettiest spot in England.’

‘I haven’t seen all England,’ said Belton.

’Don’t be so matter-of-fact, Will.  I say it’s the prettiest in England, and you can’t contradict me.’

’And I say you’re the prettiest girl in England, and you can’t contradict me.’

This annoyed Clara, and almost made her feel that her paragon of a cousin was not quite so perfect as she had represented him to be.  ’I see’, she said, ‘that if I talk nonsense I’m to be punished.’

‘Is it a punishment to you to know that I think you very handsome?’ he said, turning round and looking full into her face.