, and presently
said, more to himself than to Anthony, who was humming a tune at the far
end of the room, 'Yes, yes. It will be a capital plan to finish off all
our family business at once.'

Riding out with Miss Assher the same morning, Captain Wybrow mentioned to
her incidentally, that Sir Christopher was anxious to bring about the
wedding between Gilfil and Caterina as soon as possible, and that he, for
his part, should do all he could to further the affair. It would be the
best thing in the world for Tina, in whose welfare he was really
interested.

With Sir Christopher there was never any long interval between purpose
and execution. He made up his mind promptly, and he acted promptly. On
rising from luncheon, he said to Mr. Gilfil, 'Come with me into the
library, Maynard. I want to have a word with you.'

'Maynard, my boy,' he began, as soon as they were seated, tapping his
snuff-box, and looking radiant at the idea of the unexpected pleasure he
was about to give, 'why shouldn't we have two happy couples instead of
one, before the autumn is over, eh?'

'Eh?' he repeated, after a moment's pause, lengthening out the
monosyllable, taking a slow pinch, and looking up at Maynard with a sly
smile.

'I'm not quite sure that I understand you, sir,' answered Mr. Gilfil, who
felt annoyed at the consciousness that he was turning pale.

'Not understand me, you rogue? You know very well whose happiness lies
nearest to my heart after Anthony's. You know you let me into your
secrets long ago, so there's no confession to make. Tina's quite old
enough to be a grave little wife now; and though the Rectory's not ready
for you, that's no matter. My lady and I shall feel all the more
comfortable for having you with us. We should miss our little
singing-bird if we lost her all at once.'

Mr. Gilfil felt himself in a painfully difficult position. He dreaded
that Sir Christopher should surmise or discover the true state of
Caterina's feelings, and yet he was obliged to make those feelings the
ground of his reply.

'My dear sir,' he at last said with some effort, 'you will not suppose
that I am not alive to your goodness--that I am not grateful for your
fatherly interest in my happiness; but I fear that Caterina's feelings
towards me are not such as to warrant the hope that she would accept a
proposal of marriage from me.'

'Have you ever asked her?'

'No, sir. But we often know these things too well without asking.'

'Pooh,