Belton's name very frequently, saying something with reference to him
every time he found himself in his daughter's presence. A dozen times
he said that the man was heartless to come to the house at such a time,
and he spoke of his cousin always as though the man were guilty of a
gross injustice in being heir to the property. But not the less on that
account did he fidget himself about the room in which Belton was to
sleep, about the food that Belton was to eat, and especially about the
wine that Belton was to drink. What was he to do for wine? The stock of
wine in the cellars at Belton Castle was, no doubt, very low. The
squire himself drank a glass or two of port daily, and had some remnant
of his old treasures by him, which might perhaps last him his time; and
occasionally there came small supplies of sherry from the grocer at
Taunton; but Mr Amedroz pretended to think that Will Belton would want
champagne and claret and he would continue to make these suggestions in
spite of his own repeated complaints that the man was no better than an
ordinary farmer. 'I've no doubt he'll like beer,' said Clara. 'Beer!'
said her father, and then stopped himself, as though. he were lost in
doubt whether it would best suit him to scorn his cousin for having so
low a taste as that suggested on his behalf, or to ridicule his
daughter's idea that the household difficulty admitted of so convenient
a solution.

The day of the arrival at last came, and Clara certainly was in a
twitter, although she had steadfastly resolved that she would be in no
twitter at all. She had told her aunt by letter of the proposed visit,
and Mrs Winterfield had expressed her approbation, saying that she
hoped it would lead to good results. Of what good results could her
aunt be thinking? The one probable good result would surely. be this
that relations so nearly connected should know each other. Why should
there be any fuss made about such a visit? But, nevertheless, Clara,