e Mr. Belton, our own cousin, about the place,
than Mr. Stovey."

"I don't know. We shall see. The thing is done now, and there is
no use in complaining. I must say he hasn't shown a great deal of
delicacy."

On that afternoon Belton asked Clara to go out with him, and walk
round the place. He had been again about the grounds, and had made
plans, and counted up capabilities, and calculated his profit and
losses. "If you don't dislike scrambling about," said he, "I'll show
you everything that I intend to do."

"But I can't have any changes made, Mr. Belton," said Mr. Amedroz,
with some affectation of dignity in his manner. "I won't have the
fences moved, or anything of that kind."

"Nothing shall be done, sir, that you don't approve. I'll just manage
it all as if I was acting as your own--bailiff." "Son," he was going
to say, but he remembered the fate of his cousin Charles just in time
to prevent the use of the painful word.

"I don't want to have anything done," said Mr. Amedroz.

"Then nothing shall be done. We'll just mend a fence or two, to keep
in the cattle, and leave other things as they are. But perhaps Clara
will walk out with me all the same."

Clara was quite ready to walk out, and had already tied on her hat
and taken her parasol.

"Your father is a little nervous," said he, as soon as they were
beyond hearing of the house.

"Can you wonder at it, when you remember all that he has suffered?"

"I don't wonder at it in the least; and I don't wonder at his
disliking me either."

"I don't think he dislikes you, Mr. Belton."

"Oh, but he does. Of course he does. I'm the heir to the place
instead of you. It is natural that he should dislike me. But I'll
live it down. You see if I don't. I'll make him so fond of me, he'll
always want to have me here. I don't mind a little dislike to begin
with."

"You're a wonderful man, Mr. Belton."

"I wish you wouldn't call me Mr. Belton. But of course you must do
as you please about that. If I can make him call me Will, I suppose
you'll call me so too."

"Oh, yes; then I will."

"It don't much matter what a person is called; does it? Only one
likes to be friendly with one's friends. I suppose you don't like my
calling you Clara."

"Now you've begun you had better go on."

"I mean to. I make it a rule never to go back in the world. Your
father is half sorry that he has agreed about the place; but I shan't
let him off now. And I'll tell you what. In spit