to you at once, dear, when he
arrives," she finished up with a laugh.

"You're a saucy hussy," her mother returned, with a chuckle. Then:
"But I'd have taken to him as a son. Girls never learn anything
now-a-days until they're married to the man they fancy."

"Nothing like personal experience, lady mother. Did you ask any one's
advice when you married father?"

"That I didn't for sure, child, but it was different. Your father,
Silas, wasn't the man to be put off with any notions. He just said he
was going to marry me--and he did marry me. I was all sort of swept
off my feet."

"But still you chose him yourself," persisted the girl, laughing.

"Well, maybe I did, child, maybe I did."

"And _you_ didn't regret your own choice, mother; so why should I?"

"Ah, it was different with me--quite different. Ah, there's some one
coming in." Hephzibah Malling turned as she spoke, glad to be able to
change the subject. The front door was opened, and a fur-clad figure
entered. "It's George Iredale," she went on, as the man removed his
cap and displayed a crown of dark-brown hair, tinged here and there
with grey, a broad high forehead and a pair of serious eyes.

"Come along, George." Mrs. Malling bustled forward, followed by her
daughter. "I thought you couldn't get, maybe. The folks are all
dancing and dallying. You must come into the kitchen first and have
something warm. It's a cold night."

"I meant to come earlier," replied the new arrival, in a deep, quiet
voice. "Unfortunately, just as I was going to start, word was brought
in to me that a suspicious-looking horseman was hovering round. You
see my place is so isolated that any arrival has to be inquired into.
There are so many horse-thieves and other dangerous characters about
that I have to be careful. Well, I rode out to ascertain who the
intruder was, but I lost him. That delayed me. How are you, and
Prudence too? Why, it's ages since I've seen either of you. Yes,
something hot is always welcome after a long winter's ride."

George Iredale had divested himself of his coat and over-shoes, and
now followed his hostess to the kitchen. He was a man of considerable
inches, being little short of six feet in height. He was powerfully
built, although his clothes disguised the fact to a large extent, and
his height made him look even slim. He had a strong, keen, plain face
that was very large-featured, and would undoubtedly have been
downright ugly but for an expression