"But living here, Lily has had great advantages,--a horse to ride,
and all that sort of thing."

"I don't suppose she expects a horse in the park," said the squire,
with a very perceptible touch of sarcasm in his voice.

"I hope not," said Crosbie.

"I believe she has had the use of one of the ponies here sometimes,
but I hope that has not made her extravagant in her ideas. I did not
think that there was anything of that nonsense about either of them."

"Nor is there,--as far as I know."

"Nothing of the sort," said Bernard.

"But the long and the short of it is this, sir!" and Crosbie, as he
spoke, endeavoured to maintain his ordinary voice and usual coolness,
but his heightened colour betrayed that he was nervous. "Am I to
expect any accession of income with my wife?"

"I have not spoken to my sister-in-law on the subject," said the
squire; "but I should fear that she cannot do much."

"As a matter of course, I would not take a shilling from her," said
Crosbie.

"Then that settles it," said the squire.

Crosbie paused a moment, during which his colour became very red. He
unconsciously took up an apricot and ate it, and then he spoke out.
"Of course I was not alluding to Mrs Dale's income; I would not, on
any account, disturb her arrangements. But I wished to learn, sir,
whether you intend to do anything for your niece."

"In the way of giving her a fortune? Nothing at all. I intend to do
nothing at all."

"Then I suppose we understand each other,--at last," said Crosbie.

"I should have thought that we might have understood each other at
first," said the squire. "Did I ever make you any promise, or give
you any hint that I intended to provide for my niece? Have I ever
held out to you any such hope? I don't know what you mean by that
word 'at last'--unless it be to give offence."

"I meant the truth, sir;--I meant this--that seeing the manner in
which your nieces lived with you, I thought it probable that you
would treat them both as though they were your daughters. Now I find
out my mistake;--that is all!"

"You have been mistaken,--and without a shadow of excuse for your
mistake."

"Others have been mistaken with me," said Crosbie, forgetting, on the
spur of the moment, that he had no right to drag the opinion of any
other person into the question.

"What others?" said the squire, with anger; and his mind immediately
betook itself to his sister-in-law.

"I do not want to make any mischief," sa