satisfaction, as well as mine, that he is in every way a desirable
husband for Aggie, the less they see of each other, the better. I
therefore propose to write at once to my friend Admiral Hewson, to ask
him to use his influence, at the admiralty, to get the young fellow
appointed to a ship. Does that meet your approval, my friend?"

"Quite so," the other said cordially. "Nothing could be better. In the
meantime, as you say, should Richard turn out well, and the young
people take a liking for each other, no match could be more
satisfactory. What I want is that she should take no girlish fancy for
him, at present."

"So be it, then," the squire said. "I think, you know, that we are a
couple of old fools, to be troubling ourselves about Aggie's future, at
present. Still, in a matter which concerns us both so nearly, we cannot
be too careful. If we had a woman with us, we could safely leave the
matter in her hands; as it is, we must blunder on, as best we may."

And so it was settled, and a week later, Richard Horton received an
official letter from the admiralty, ordering him to proceed at once to
Portsmouth to join the Thetis, to which he was appointed as fourth
lieutenant. The order gave Richard extreme satisfaction. He was
beginning to find his life desperately dull, and he was heartily sick
of playing the attentive nephew. He was well content with the progress
he had made; nothing had gone wrong since he returned, his uncle had
clearly taken him back into his favour, and he had no doubt that Aggie
quite appreciated the pains he had bestowed to gain her liking.

He detested the squire's companion, for he felt that the latter
disliked and distrusted him, and that his projects would meet with a