ition. The agent, Hailes,
has been continually apologising to me for the smallness of the means.
He says either we must have no house in London, or else let Northmoor.
He cannot tell me yet exactly what income we shall have, but the farms
don't let well, and there is not much ready money.'

'Every one says you ought to marry a lady of fortune.'

'My dear Mary, to what would you condemn me? What sort of lady of
fortune do you think would take an old stick like me for the sake of
being my Lady? I really shall begin to believe you are tired of it.'

'Stick! oh no, no. Staff, if'--and the manner in which she began to
cling was answer full and complete; indeed, as she saw that her
resistance had begun to hurt him as much as herself, she felt herself
free to throw herself into the interests, and ask, 'Is Northmoor a very
nice place?'

'Not so pretty as Cotes Kenton outside. A great white house, with a
portico for carriages to drive under, and not kept up very well, patches
of plaster coming off; but there is a beautiful view over the woods, with
a purple moor beyond.'

'And inside?'

'Well, rather dreary, waiting for you to make it homelike. They have not
lived there much for some time past. Lady Adela has lived in the Dower
House, and will continue there.'

'Did you see much of them?'

'Not Lady Adela. Poor lady, she had her own relations with her. She had
not by any means recovered the loss of her little boy, and I can quite
understand that it must have been too trying for her to see me in his
place. I understand from Hailes--'

'Your Mr. Burford,' said Mary, smiling.

'That she is a very refined, rather exclusive and domestic lady, devoted
to her little girl, and extremely kind to the poor. Indeed, so is Miss
Morton, but she prefers the London poor, and is altogether rather
flighty, and what Hailes calls an unconventional young lady. There was a
very nice lady with her, Mrs. Bury, the daughter of a brother of the late
Lord, a widow, and very kind and friendly. Both were very good-natured,
Miss Morton always acted hostess, and talked continually.'

'About her father?'

'Oh no, I do not think he had been a very affectionate father, and their
habits and tastes had been very different. Lady Adela seems to have
latterly been more to him. Miss Morton was chiefly concerned to advise
me about politics and social questions, and how to deal with the estate
and the tenants.'

He seemed somewhat to shud