'Mr Possitt has been with me twice whilst you were away, and he, too,
asked what you meant to do about the house.'

'And what did you say?'

'What could I say? Of course I said I did not know. I suppose he was
meditating whether you would live here and ask him to dinner on
Sundays!'

'Mr Possitt is a very good sort of man,' said the captain, gravely for
Captain Aylmer, in the carrying out of his principles, always spoke
seriously of everything connected with the Church in Perivale.

'And quite worthy to be asked to dinner on Sundays,' said Clara. 'But I
did not give him any hope. How could I? Of course I knew that you would
not live here, though I did not tell him so.'

'No; I don't suppose I shall. But I see very plainly that you think I
ought to do so.'

'I've the old-fashioned idea as to a man's living near to his own
property; that is all. No doubt it was good for other people in
Perivale, besides Mr Possitt, that my dear aunt lived here; and if the
house is shut up, or let to some stranger, they will feel her loss the
more. But I don't know that you are bound to sacrifice yourself to
them.'

'If I were to marry,' said Captain Aylmer, very slowly and in a low
voice, 'of course I should have to think of my wife's wishes.'