go back to the old family name! If I were you I would make up my mind
not to let him leave the place till I had brought him to my feet.'

'If you go on like that I will not speak to you about him again.'

'Or rather not to my feet for gentlemen have laid aside the humble way
of making love for the last twenty years at least; but I don't know
whether the women haven't gained quite as much by the change as the
men.'

'As I know nothing will stop you when you once get into a vein of that
kind, I shall go,' said Clara. 'And till this man has come and gone I
shall not mention his name again in your presence.'

'So be it,' said Mrs Askerton; 'but as I will promise to say nothing
more about him, you need not go on his account.' But Clara had got up,
and did leave the cottage at once.


CHAPTER III

WILL BELTON

Mr Belton came to the castle, and nothing further had been said at the
cottage about his coming. Clara had seen Mrs Askerton in the meantime
frequently, but that lady had kept her promise almost to Clara's
disappointment. For she though she had in truth disliked the
proposition that her cousin could be coming with any special views with
reference to herself had nevertheless sufficient curiosity about the
stranger to wish to talk about him. Her father, indeed, mentioned