‘Does it mean, papa,’ she said, speaking almost with anger, ’that you want me to give up Mrs Askerton?’

‘How can you be so unkind as to ask me such a question?’ he replied.  ’You know how I hate to be bothered.  I tell you what I hear, and then you can decide for yourself.’

‘But that isn’t quite fair either, papa.  That man comes here’

’That man, as you call him, is the rector of the parish, and I’ve known him for forty years.’

‘And have never liked him, papa.’

’I don’t know much about liking anybody, my dear.  Nobody likes me, and so why should I trouble myself?’

’But, papa, it all amounts to this that somebody has said that the Askertons are not Askertons at all, but ought to be called something else.  Now we know that he served as Captain and Major Askerton for seven years in India and in fact it all means nothing.  If I know anything, I know that he is Colonel Askerton.’

’But do you know that she is his wife?  That is what Mr Wright asks.  I don’t say anything.  I think it’s very indelicate talking about such things.’

’If I am asked whether I have seen her marriage certificate, certainly I have not; nor probably did you ever do so as to any lady that you ever knew.  But I know that she is her husband’s wife, as we all of us know things of that sort.  I know she was in India with him.  I’ve seen things of hers marked with her name that she has had at least ten years.’

‘I don’t know anything about it, my dear,’ said Mr Amedroz, angrily.

’But Mr Wright ought to know something about it before he says such things.  And then this that he’s saying now isn’t the same that he said before.’

‘I don’t know what he said before.’

‘He said they were both of them using a feigned name.’

’It’s nothing to me what name they use.  I know I wish they hadn’t come here, if I’m to be troubled about them in this way first by Wright and then by you.’

‘They have been very good tenants, papa.’

’You needn’t tell me that, Clara, and remind me about the shooting when you know how unhappy it makes me.’

After this Clara said nothing more, and simply determined that Mr Wright and his gossip should have no effect upon her intimacy with Mrs Askerton.  But not the less did she continue to remember what her cousin had said about Miss Vigo.

And she had been ruffled a second time by certain observations which Mrs Askerton made to her respecting her cousin or rather by little words which were dropped on various occasions.  It was very clear that Mrs Askerton did not like Mr Belton, and that she wished to prejudice Clara against him.  ‘It’s a pity he shouldn’t be a lover of yours,’ the lady said, ’because it would be such a fine instance of Beauty and the Beast.’  It will of course be understood that Mrs Askerton had never been told of the offer that had been made.

‘You don’t mean to say that he’s not a handsome man,’ said Clara.