wanted to push you out of your place."

"I know nothing o' your offering or o' my taking it ill," said the
Squire, whose memory consisted in certain strong impressions
unmodified by detail; "but I know, one while you seemed to be
thinking o' marrying, and I didn't offer to put any obstacles in
your way, as some fathers would. I'd as lieve you married
Lammeter's daughter as anybody. I suppose, if I'd said you nay,
you'd ha' kept on with it; but, for want o' contradiction, you've
changed your mind. You're a shilly-shally fellow: you take after
your poor mother. She never had a will of her own; a woman has no
call for one, if she's got a proper man for her husband. But _your_
wife had need have one, for you hardly know your own mind enough to
make both your legs walk one way. The lass hasn't said downright
she won't have you, has she?"

"No," said Godfrey, feeling very hot and uncomfortable; "but I
don't think she will."

"Think! why haven't you the courage to ask her? Do you stick to
it, you want to have _her_--that's the thing?"

"There's no other woman I want to marry," said Godfrey, evasively.

"Well, then, let me make the offer for you, that's all, if you
haven't the pluck to do it yourself. Lammeter isn't likely to be
loath for his daughter to marry into _my_ family, I should think.
And as for the pretty lass, she wouldn't have her cousin--and
there's nobody else, as I see, could ha' stood in your way."