Ferdinand's father, and
now, in spite of an extraordinary toughness of constitution, was showing
signs of frailty which increased almost day by day. And apart from
his own personal advantages, and the future baronetcy and the estates
thereto appertaining, the young man felt that, as the chosen candidate
of the constitutional party for that division of the county at the
approaching election, he was something of a figure in the place. It was
rather abnormal that any pretty little half-rustic girl should treat him
with anything but reverence. If the girl had been shy, and had blushed
and trembled before him a little, he could have understood it. Had she
been pert he could have understood it. Young women of the rustic order,
if only they were a trifle good-looking, had an old-established license
to be pert to their male social superiors. But this young woman was not
at all disposed to tremble before him, and was just as far removed from
pertness as from humility.

As he strolled along he bethought him, vaguely enough--for he was not
a young gentleman who was accustomed to put too much powder behind his
purposes--that it would be rather an agreeable thing than otherwise
to charm this young woman, if only just to show her that she could be
charmed, and that he could be charming. He had been a little slighted,
and it would be nice to be a little revenged. He was not a puppy,
in spite of the fact that his head gave house-room to this kind of
nonsense. The design is commoner among girls than boys, but there are
plenty of young men who let their wits stray after this manner at times,
and some of them live to laugh at themselves.

But while Ferdinand was thinking, an idea occurred to him which caused
him to smile languidly. It would be amusing to awaken Barfield's wrath
by starting a pronounced flirtation with this village beauty. It was
scarcely consistent to have an inward understanding with himself, that
if the flirtation _should_ take place it should be kept secret from his
noble patron of all men in the world. It would certainly be great fun to
take the little hussy from her pedestal. She was evidently disposed to
think of herself a good deal more highly than she ought to think, and
perhaps it might afford a useful lesson to her to be made a little more
pliant, a little less self-opinionated, a little less disposed to snub
young gentlemen of unimpeachable attractions. Thinking thus, Ferdinand
made up quite a contented mind t