's property as well as your
aunt's; and you would be near to your own tenants."

"But that does not answer my question. Could you bring yourself to
live here,--even if it were your own?"

"Why not?"

"Because it is so deadly dull;--because it has no attraction
whatever;--because of all lives it is the one you would like the
least. No one should live in a provincial town but they who make
their money by doing so."

"And what are the wives and daughters of such people to do,--and
especially their widows? I have no doubt I could live here very
happily if I had anybody near me that I liked. I should not wish to
have to depend altogether on Mr. Possitt for society."

"And you would find him about the best."

"Mr. Possitt has been with me twice whilst you were away, and he,
too, asked what you meant to do about the house."

"And what did you say?"

"What could I say? Of course I said I did not know. I suppose he
was meditating whether you would live here and ask him to dinner on
Sundays!"

"Mr. Possitt is a very good sort of man," said the Captain,
gravely;--for Captain Aylmer, in the carrying out of his principles,
always spoke seriously of everything connected with the Church in
Perivale.

"And quite worthy to be asked to dinner on Sundays," said Clara. "But
I did not give him any hope. How could I? Of course I knew that you
would not live here, though I did not tell him so."

"No; I don't suppose I shall. But I see very plainly that you think
I ought to do so."

"I've the old-fashioned idea as to a man's living near to his own
property; that is all. No doubt it was good for other people in
Perivale, besides Mr. Possitt, that my dear aunt lived here; and if
the house is shut up, or let to some stranger, they will feel her
loss the more. But I don't know that you are bound to sacrifice
yourself to them."

"If I were to marry," said Captain Aylmer, very slowly and in a low
voice, "of course I should have to think of my wife's wishes."

"But if your wife, when she accepted you, knew that you were living
here, she would hardly take upon herself to demand that you should
give up your residence."

"She might find it very dull."

"She would make her own calculations as to that before she accepted
you."

"No doubt;--but I can't fancy any woman taking a man who was tied by
his leg to Perivale. What do the people do who live in Perivale?"

"Earn their bread."

"Yes;--that's just what I said. But I shouldn'