'Oh dear no,' said he. 'It would be teaching the ostler to grease the
horse's teeth. Perhaps he hasn't thought of it.'

'He thinks of everything,' said Clara.

'I wonder whether he's thinking of .' So far Mrs Askerton spoke, and
then she paused. Colonel Askerton looked up at Clara with an
ill-natured smile, and Clara felt that she blushed. Was it not cruel
that she could not say a word in favour of a friend and a cousin a
cousin who had promised to be a brother to her, without being treated
with such words and such looks as these? But she was determined not to
be put down. 'I'm quite sure of this,' she said, 'that my cousin would
do nothing unfair or ungentlemanlike.'

'There would be nothing unfair or ungentlemanlike in it. I shouldn't
take it amiss at all but I should simply take up my bed and walk. Pray
tell him that I hope I shall have the pleasure of seeing him before he
goes. I did call yesterday, but he was out.'

'He'll be here soon. He's to come here for me.' But Colonel Askerton's
horse was brought to the door, and he could not therefore wait to make
Mr Belton's acquaintance on that occasion.

'What a phoenix this cousin of yours is,' said Mrs Askerton, as soon as
her husband was gone.

'He is a splendid fellow he is indeed. There's so much life about him!
He's always doing something. He says that doing good will always pay in
the long run. Isn't that a fine doctrine?'