what these innuendoes meant, he was neither angry nor impatient. He had
much toleration for human weakness, and he took it that Beratinsky was
only a little off his head with jealousy. He was aware that it had been
Beratinsky's ambition to become his son-in-law: a project that swiftly
came to an end through the perfect unanimity of father and daughter on
that point.

"You are a fool, Beratinsky," he said, as he tied the bundle of letters
together. "At your time of life you should not imagine that every one's
head is full of philandering nonsense. Mr. Brand has something else to
think of; besides, he has been in the midland counties all this time."

"Has he? Who, then, was taking your daughter to dinner-parties, to
theatres--I don't know what?"

Lind dealt gently with this madness.

"Who told you?"

"I have eyes and ears."

"Put them to a better use, Beratinsky."

Then he left, and the hansom carried him along to Curzon Street. Natalie
herself flew to the door when she heard the cab drive up: there she was
to receive him, smiling a welcome, and so like her mother that he was
almost startled. She caught his face in her two hands and kissed him.

"Ah, why did you not let me come to meet you at Liverpool?"

"There were too many with me, Natalie. I was busy. Now get Anneli to
open my portmanteau, and you can find out for yourself all the things I
have brought for you."

"I do not care for them, papa; I like to have you yourself back."

"I suppose you were rather dull, Natalushka, being all by yourself?"

"Sometimes. But I will tell you all that has happened when you are
having breakfast."

"I have had breakfast, child. Now I shall get through my letters, and
you can tell me all that has happened afterward."

This was equivalent to a dismissal; so Natalie went up-stairs, leaving
her father to go into the small study, where lay another bundle of
letters for him.

Almost the first that he opened was from George Brand; and to his
amazement he found, not details about progress in the North, but a
simple, straightforward, respectful demand to be permitted to claim the
hand of Natalie in marriage. He did not conceal the fact that this
proposal had already been made to Natalie herself; he ventured to hope
that it was not distasteful to her; he would also hope that her father
had no objections to urge. It was surely better that the future of a
young girl in her position should be provided for. As regarded by
hims