don't see why you should be so poor, as the debts have been paid.'

'Papa has had to borrow money on his life interest in the place.'

'That's the mischief! Never mind. We'll see if we can't do something.
And in the meantime don't make a stranger of me. Anything does for me.
Lord bless you! if you were to see how I rough it sometimes! I can eat
beans and bacon with any one; and what's more, I can go without 'em if
I can't get 'em.'

'We'd better get ready for dinner now. I always dress, because papa
likes to see it.' This she said as a hint to her cousin that he would
be expected to change his coat, for her father would have been annoyed
had his guest sat down to dinner without such ceremony. Will Belton was
not very good at taking hints; but he did understand this, and made the
necessary change in his apparel.

The evening was long and dull, and nothing occurred worthy of remark
except the surprise manifested by Mr Amedroz when Belton called his
daughter by her Christian name. This he did without the slightest
hesitation, as though it were the most natural thing in the world for
him to do. She was his cousin, and cousins of course addressed each
other in that way. Clara's quick eye immediately saw her father's
slight gesture of dismay, but Belton caught nothing of this. The squire
took an early opportunity of calling him Mr Belton with some little
peculiarity of expression; but this was altogether lost on Will, who
five times in the next five minutes addressed 'Clara' as though they
were already on the most intimate terms. She would have answered him in
the same way, and would have called him Will, had she not been afraid
of offending her father.