nd she had been quite in earnest when looking forward
to a new life at Maule Abbey. After all there could be no such great
difficulty for a young married couple to live on L800 a year, with a
house and garden of their own. There would be no carriage and no man
servant till,--till old Mr. Maule was dead. The suggestion as to
the ultimate and desirable haven was wrapped up in ambiguous words.
"The property must be yours some day," suggested Lady Chiltern.
"If I outlive my father." "We take that for granted; and then, you
know--" So Lady Chiltern went on, dilating upon a future state of
squirearchal bliss and rural independence. Adelaide was enthusiastic;
but Gerard Maule,--after he had assented to the abandonment of his
hunting, much as a man assents to being hung when the antecedents of
his life have put any option in the matter out of his power,--had
sat silent and almost moody while the joys of his coming life were
described to him. Lady Chiltern, however, had been urgent in pointing
out to him that the scheme of living at Maule Abbey could not be
carried on without his father's assistance. They all knew that Mr.
Maule himself could not be affected by the matter, and they also
knew that he had but very little power in reference to the property.
But the plan could not be matured without some sanction from him.
Therefore there was still much more to be said when the father had
completed the exposition of his views on marriage in general. "I
wanted to speak to you about the property," said Gerard. He had been
specially enjoined to be staunch in bringing his father to the point.

"And what about the property?"

"Of course my marriage will not affect your interests."

"I should say not. It would be very odd if it did. As it is, your
income is much larger than mine."

"I don't know how that is, sir; but I suppose you will not refuse to
give me a helping hand if you can do so without disturbance to your
own comfort."

"In what sort of way? Don't you think anything of that kind can be
managed better by the lawyer? If there is a thing I hate, it is
business."

Gerard, remembering his promise to Lady Chiltern, did persevere,
though the perseverance went much against the grain with him. "We
thought, sir, that if you would consent we might live at Maule
Abbey."

"Oh;--you did; did you?"

"Is there any objection?"

"Simply the fact that it is my house, and not yours."

"It belongs, I suppose, to the property; and as--