fortune would restore Cumber Priory to all its old glory.'

Her fortune! The word jarred upon me. Was it her money, after all,
that Angus Egerton was thinking of when he took such pains to pursue
my darling?

'I should be sorry for her to marry any one who cared for her
money,' I said.

'Of course, my dear Miss Crofton; and so should I be sorry to see
her throw herself away upon any one with whom her money was a
paramount consideration. But one cannot put these things quite out
of the question. I know that Angus admired her very much the first
day he saw her, and I fancy his admiration has grown into a warmer
feeling since then. He has said nothing to me upon the subject, nor
I to him; for you know how silent he always is about himself. But I
cannot help wishing that such a thing might come to pass. He has one
of the best names in the North Riding, and a first-rate position as
the owner of Cumber Priory. He only wants money.'

I was too young and inexperienced to take a worldly view of things,
and from this moment felt disposed to distrust Mr. Egerton. I
remembered the story of his early attachment, and told myself that a
man who had loved once like that had in all probability worn out his
powers of loving.

'I don't think Mr. Darrell would approve of, or even permit, such a
marriage,' I said presently. 'I know he has a very bad opinion of
Mr. Egerton.'