o wait a while. He told the news of Pitt's last letter; intimated
that he meant to keep him in England till his studies were all ended;
and then went into a discussion of politics, deep and dry. When Esther
at last left the room, he made a sudden break in the discussion.

'Colonel, what are you going to do with that girl of yours?'

'What am I going to do with her?' repeated the colonel, a little drily.

'Yes. Forgive me; I have known her all her life, you know, nearly. I am
concerned about Esther.'

'In what way?'

'Well, don't take it ill of me; but I do not like to see her growing up
so without any advantages. She is such a beautiful creature.'

Colonel Gainsborough was silent.

'I take the interest of a friend,' Mr. Dallas went on. 'I have a right
to so much. I have watched her growing up. She will be something
uncommon, you know. She ought really to have everything that can help
to make humanity perfect.'

'What would you have me do?' the colonel asked, half conscious and half
impatient.

'I would give her all the advantages that a girl of her birth and
breeding would have in the old country.'

'How is that possible, at Seaforth?'

'It is not possible at Seaforth. There is nothing here. But elsewhere
it is possible.'

'I shall never leave Seaforth,' said the colonel doggedly.

'But for Esther's sake? Why, she ought to be at school now, colonel.'

'I shall never quit Seaforth,' the other repeated. 'I do not expect to
live long anywhere; when I die, I will lie by my wife's side, here.'

'You are not failing in health,' Mr. Dallas persisted. 'You are
improving, colonel; every time I come to see you I am convinced of it.
We shall have you a long while among us yet; you may depend on it.'

'I have no particular reason to wish you may be right. And I see myself
no signs that you are.'

'You have your daughter to live for.'

'She will be taken care of. I have little fear.'

There was a somewhat grim set of Mr. Dallas's mouth in answer to this
speech; his words however were 'smoother than butter.'

'You need have no fear,' he said. 'Miss Gainsborough, with her birth
and beauty and breeding, will do--what you must wish her to do,--marry
some one well able to take care of her; but--you are not doing her
justice, colonel, in not giving her the education that should go with
her birth and breeding. I speak as a friend; I trust you will not take
it ill of me.'

'I cannot send her to England.'

'You do