visit now that you're come among us.'

'It is a long time for me to be away from home. Farmers can hardly ever
dare to leave their work. But in spite of my farm, I am talking of
coming here again about Christmas.'

'But you are going to have a farming establishment here too?'

'That will be nothing. Clara will look after that for me; will you
not?' Then they went, and Belton had to consider how he would begin the
work before him. He had some idea that too much precipitancy might do
him an injury, but he hardly knew how to commence without coming to the
point at once. When they were out together in the park, he went back at
first to the subject of Mrs Askerton.

'I would almost have sworn they were one and the same woman,' he said.

'But you see that they are not.'

'It's not only the likeness, but the voice. It so chanced that I once
saw that Miss Vigo in some trouble. I happened to meet her in company
with a man who was who was tipsy, in fact, and I had to relieve her.'

'Dear me how disagreeable!'

'It's a long time ago, and there can't be any harm in mentioning it
now. It was the man she was going to marry, and whom she did marry.'

'What the Mr Berdmore?'