so sensible of his intrusion, that he had no alternative
but to take the hint. He looked at Charlotte with eyes full of tender
reproach, and she was too unprepared for such a speedy termination to
their meeting to oppose it. So Stephen was galloping at headlong speed
in advance, before she realized that he had been virtually refused their
company.

"Father, why did you do that?"

"Do what, Charlotte? Eh? What?"

"Send Steve away. I am sure I do not know what to make of you doing such
a thing. Poor Steve!"

"Well, then, I had my reason for it. Did you see the way he looked at
you? Eh? What?"

"Dear me! A cat may look at a king. Did you send Steve away for a look?
You have put me about, father."

"There's looks and other looks, my lass. Cats don't look at kings the
way Steve looked at you. Now, then, I want no love-making between you
and Steve Latrigg."

"What nonsense! Steve hasn't said a word of love-making, as you call
it."

"I thought you had all your woman-senses, Charlotte. Bethink you of the
garden walk last night."

"We were talking all the time of the sweetbrier and hollyhocks,--and
things like that."

"You might have talked of the days of the week or the
multiplication-table: one kind of words was just as good as another. Any
thing Steve said last night could have been spelled with four letters."

"Four letters?"

"To be sure. L-o-v-e."

"You used to like Stephen."

"I like all bright, honest, good lads; but when they want to make love
to Miss Charlotte Sandal, they think one thing, and I think another.
There has been ill-luck with love-making between the Sandals and the
Latriggs. My brothers Launcie and Tom quarrelled about one of Barf
Latrigg's daughters, and mother lost them both through her. There is no
love-line between the two houses, or if there is nothing can make it run
straight. Don't you try to, Charlotte; neither the dead nor the living
will like it or have it."

He intended then to tell her about Julius Sandal, but a look at her face
checked him. He had a wise perception about women; and he reflected
that he had very seldom repented of speaking too little to them, but
very often repented of speaking too much. So he dropped Stephen, and
dropped Julius; and began to talk about the fish in the becks and tarns,
and the new breed of sheep he was trying in the lower "walks." Ere long
they came into the rich valley of Furness; and he made her notice the
difference between it and the v