As far as Ned knew
the world, ladies always required to be asked a second or a third
time. And then no harm can come from such perseverance. "She can't
break your bones, Tom."

There was much honesty displayed on this occasion. The Squire, when
he was thus instigated to persevere, did his best to describe the
manner in which he had been rejected. His powers of description were
not very great, but he did not conceal anything wilfully. "She was as
hard as nails, you know."

"I don't know that that means much. Horace's filly kicked a few, no
doubt."

"She told me that if I'd go one way, she'd go the other!"

"They always say about the hardest things that come to their tongues.
They don't curse and swear as we do, or there'd be no bearing them.
If you really like her--"

"She's such a well-built creature! There's a look of blood about her
I don't see in any of 'em. That sort of breeding is what one wants to
get through the mud with."

Then it was that the cousin recommended a letter to Lord Chiltern.
Lord Chiltern was at the present moment to be regarded as the lady's
guardian, and was the lover's intimate friend. A direct proposal had
already been made to the young lady, and this should now be repeated
to the gentleman who for the time stood in the position of her
father. The Squire for a while hesitated, declaring that he was
averse to make his secret known to Lord Chiltern. "One doesn't want
every fellow in the country to know it," he said. But in answer to
this the cousin was very explicit. There could be but little doubt
that Lord Chiltern knew the secret already; and he would certainly
be rather induced to keep it as a secret than to divulge it if it
were communicated to him officially. And what other step could the
Squire take? It would not be likely that he should be asked again to
Harrington Hall with the express view of repeating his offer. The
cousin was quite of opinion that a written proposition should be
made; and on that very night the cousin himself wrote out a letter
for the Squire to copy in the morning. On the morning the Squire
copied the letter,--not without additions of his own, as to which he
had very many words with his discreet cousin,--and in a formal manner
handed it to Lord Chiltern towards the afternoon of that day, having
devoted his whole morning to the finding of a proper opportunity for
doing so. Lord Chiltern had read the letter, and had, as we see,
delivered it to Adelaide Pallis