t a man must do when he thinks o' marrying."

"I don't see how I can think of it at present, sir. You wouldn't like
to settle me on one of the farms, I suppose, and I don't think she'd
come to live in this house with all my brothers. It's a different sort
of life to what she's been used to."

"Not come to live in this house? Don't tell me. You ask her, that's
all," said the Squire, with a short, scornful laugh.

"I'd rather let the thing be, at present, sir," said Godfrey. "I hope
you won't try to hurry it on by saying anything."

"I shall do what I choose," said the Squire, "and I shall let you know
I'm master; else you may turn out and find an estate to drop into
somewhere else. Go out and tell Winthrop not to go to Cox's, but wait
for me. And tell 'em to get my horse saddled. And stop: look out and
get that hack o' Dunsey's sold, and hand me the money, will you? He'll
keep no more hacks at my expense. And if you know where he's
sneaking--I daresay you do--you may tell him to spare himself the
journey o' coming back home. Let him turn ostler, and keep himself.
He shan't hang on me any more."

"I don't know where he is, sir; and if I did, it isn't my place to tell
him to keep away," said Godfrey, moving towards the door.

"Confound it, sir, don't stay arguing, but go and order my horse," said
the Squire, taking up a pipe.

Godfrey left the room, hardly knowing whether he were more relieved by
the sense that the interview was ended without having made any change
in his position, or more uneasy that he had entangled himself still
further in prevarication and deceit. What had passed about his
proposing to Nancy had raised a new alarm, lest by some after-dinner
words of his father's to Mr. Lammeter he should be thrown into the
embarrassment of being obliged absolutely to decline her when she
seemed to be within his reach. He fled to his usual refuge, that of
hoping for some unforeseen turn of fortune, some favourable chance
which would save him from unpleasant consequences--perhaps even justify
his insincerity by manifesting its prudence. And in this point of
trusting to some throw of fortune's dice, Godfrey can hardly be called
specially old-fashioned. Favourable Chance, I fancy, is the god of all
men who follow their own devices instead of obeying a law they believe
in. Let even a polished man of these days get into a position he is
ashamed to avow, and his mind will be bent on all the possible issu