may be allowed to talk to him about everything? When it had
been first proposed that Lord Carstairs should come into the house as a
private pupil she had expressed her fear to the Doctor,--because of Mary.
The Doctor had ridiculed her fears, and this had been the result. Of
course she must tell the Doctor. "Oh, dear," she said, "what do you think
has happened while we were up in London?"

"Carstairs was here."

"Oh, yes; he was here. He came on purpose to make a regular declaration
of love to Mary."

"Nonsense."

"But he did, Jeffrey."

"How do you know he came on purpose."

"He told her so."

"I did not think the boy had so much spirit in him," said the Doctor.
This was a way of looking at it which Mrs. Wortle had not expected. Her
husband seemed rather to approve than otherwise of what had been done. At
any rate, he had expressed none of that loud horror which she had
expected. "Nevertheless," continued the Doctor, "he's a stupid fool for
his pains."

"I don't know that he is a fool," said Mrs. Wortle.

"Yes; he is. He is not yet twenty, and he has all Oxford before him. How
did Mary behave?"

"Like an angel," said Mary's mother.

"That's of course. You and I are bound to believe so. But what did she
do, and what did she say?"

"She told him that it was simply impossible."

"So it is,--I'm afraid. She at any rate was bound to give him no
encouragement."

"She gave him none. She feels quite strongly that it is altogether
impossible. What would Lord Bracy say?"

"If Carstairs were but three or four years older," said the Doctor,
proudly, "Lord Bracy would have much to be thankful for in the attachment
on the part of his son, if it were met by a return of affection on the
part of my daughter. What better could he want?"

"But he is only a boy," said Mrs. Wortle.

"No; that's where it is. And Mary was quite right to tell him that it is
impossible. It is impossible. And I trust, for her sake, that his words
have not touched her young heart."

"Oh, no," said Mrs. Wortle.

"Had it been otherwise how could we have been angry with the child?"

Now this did seem to the mother to be very much in contradiction to that
which the Doctor had himself said when she had whispered to him that Lord
Carstairs's coming might be dangerous. "I was afraid of it, as you know,"
said she.

"His character has altered during the last twelve months."

"I suppose when boys grow into men it is so with