known you so very short a time, that you can hardly have a right to
hope that she should learn to regard you at once as you would have her
do.' As he heard this, Belton's face became long and melancholy. He had
taught himself to think that he could dispense with that delay till
Christmas which he had at first proposed to himself, and that he might
walk into the arena at once, and perhaps win the battle in the first
round. 'Three days is such a very short time,' said the squire.

'It is short certainly,' said Belton.

The father's leave was however given, and armed with that, Belton was
resolved that he would take, at any rate, some preliminary steps in
love-making before he returned to Plaistow. What would be the nature of
the preliminary steps taken by such a one as him, the reader by this
time will probably be able to surmise.


CHAPTER V

NOT SAFE AGAINST LOVE-MAKING

'Why don't you call him Will?' Clara said to her father. This question
was asked on the evening of that Monday on which Mr Amedroz had given
his consent as to the marriage proposal.

'Call him Will! Why should I?'

'You used to do so, when he was a boy.'

'Of course I did; but that is years ago. He would think it impertinent