Jane hesitated a little, and then answered:  “What is the use of talking of such a thing, father, as I have never seen anybody to whom I wish to become engaged?  But, if you like, I will promise you that if I should chance to see any one and you don’t approve of him, I will not become engaged to him for three years, by the end of which time he would probably cease to wish to become engaged to me.  But,” she added with a laugh, “I am almost certain he wouldn’t be a duke or a lord, or anything of that sort, for, provided a man is a gentleman, I don’t care twopence about his having a title.”

“Jane, don’t talk so foolishly,” I answered.

“Well, father,” she said astonished, “if those are my opinions at least I got them from you, for I was always brought up upon strictly democratic principles.  How often have I heard you declare in your lectures down at Dunchester that men of our race are all equal—­except the working-man, who is better than the others—­and that but for social prejudice the ‘son of toil’ is worthy of the hand of any titled lady in the kingdom?”

“I haven’t delivered that lecture for years,” I answered angrily.

“No, father, not since—­let me see, not since old Mrs. Strong left you all her money, and you were made an Under-Secretary of State, and lords and ladies began to call on us.  Now, I shouldn’t have said that, because it makes you angry, but it is true, though, isn’t it?” and she was gone.

That August when the House rose we went down to a place that I owned on the outskirts of Dunchester.  It was a charming old house, situated in the midst of a considerable estate that is famous for its shooting.  This property had come to me as part of Mrs. Strong’s bequest, or, rather, she held a heavy mortgage on it, and when it was put up for sale I bought it in.  As Jane had taken a fancy to the house, which was large and roomy, with beautiful gardens, I let my old home in the city, and when we were not in town we came to live at Ashfields.

On the borders of the Ashfields estate—­indeed, part of the land upon which it was built belongs to it—­lies a poor suburb of Dunchester occupied by workmen and their families.  In these people Jane took great interest; indeed, she plagued me till at very large expense I built a number of model cottages for them, with electricity, gas and water laid on, and bicycle-houses attached.  In fact, this proved a futile proceeding, for the only result was that the former occupants of the dwellings were squeezed out, while persons of a better class, such as clerks, took possession of the model tenements at a totally inadequate rent.