'Oh! how often I must have given you pain.'

'I did not mean _that_, but, as I say, perhaps I was no fair judge. One
thing is well, the relations will be much less likely to take them from
you when you are living here.'

She held up her hands in deprecation.

'Honor dear,' he said pleadingly, yet with authority, 'pray let me talk
to you. There are things which I wish very much to say; indeed, without
which I could hardly have asked for this indulgence. It is for your own
sake, and that of the place and people.'

'Poor place, poor people.'

He sighed, but then turned his smiling countenance towards her again.
'No one else can care for it or them as you do, Honor. Our "goodly
heritage"--it was so when I had it from my father, and I don't think it
has got worse under my charge, and I want you to do your duty by it,
Honor, and hand it on the same, whoever may come after.'

'For your sake, Humfrey--even if I did not love it. But--'

'Yes, it is a duty,' proceeded Humfrey, gravely. 'It may seem but a bit
of earth after all, but the owner of a property has a duty to let it do
its share in producing food, or maybe in not lessening the number of
pleasant things here below. I mean it is as much my office to keep my
trees and woods fair to look at, as it is not to let my land lie waste.'

She had recovered a good deal while he was moralizing, and became
interested. 'I did not suspect you of the poetical view, Humfrey,' she
said.

'It is plain sense, I think,' he said, 'that to grub up a fine tree, or a
pretty bit of copse without fair reason, only out of eagerness for gain,
is a bit of selfishness. But mind, Honor, you must not go and be
romantic. You _must_ have the timber marked when the trees are injuring
each other.'

'Ah! I've often done it with you.'

'I wish you would come out with me to-day. I'm going to the out-wood, I
could show you.'

She agreed readily, almost forgetting the wherefore.

'And above all, Honor, you must not be romantic about wages! It is not
right by other proprietors, nor by the people themselves. No one is ever
the better for a fancy price for his labour.'

She could almost have smiled; he was at once so well pleased that she and
his 'goodly heritage' should belong to each other, so confident in her
love and good intentions towards it, and so doubtful of her discretion
and management. She promised with all her heart to do her utmost to
fulfil his wishes.

'After all,' h