e's husband; and, if he should do so, she would be very
glad to have him become acquainted with him.

To this Lawrence replied with much gravity that he would be happy to do
so.

"Mr Null has not yet come to my house," said Mrs Keswick, "and it is
very natural that one should desire to know the husband of her only
niece who is, or should be, the same as a daughter to her."

"A very natural wish indeed," said Lawrence.

"I am not quite sure in what business Mr Null is engaged," she
continued, "and, although I asked my niece about it, she answered in a
very evasive way, which makes me think his occupation is one she is not
proud of. I have reason to suppose, however, that he is an agent for
the sale of some fertilizing compound."

At this Lawrence could not help smiling very broadly.

"It may appear very odd and ridiculous to you," she said, "that a person
connected with my family should be engaged in a business like that, for
those fertilizers, as you ought to know, are all humbugs of the vilest
kind. The only time I bought any it took my whole wheat crop to pay for
it, and as for the clover I got afterward, a grasshopper could have
eaten the whole of it. I am afraid he didn't tell her his business
before he married her, and I'm glad she's ashamed of it. As far as I can
find out, it does not seem as if Mr Null has any intention of coming
here for some time; and, as I said before, I do very much want to know
something about him--that is from a disinterested outsider. One cannot
expect a recently married young woman to give a correct account of her
husband."

"I do not believe," said Mr Croft, "that there is any probability that I
shall ever meet the gentleman--our walks in life being so different."

"I should hope so, indeed!" interrupted Mrs Keswick. "But people of all
sorts do run across each other."

"But if I do meet with him," he continued, "I shall take great pleasure
in giving you my impressions by letter, or in person, of your
nephew-in-law." "Don't call him that!" exclaimed the old lady with
much asperity. "I don't acknowledge the title. But I won't say any more
about him," with a grim smile, "or you may think I don't like him."

"Some of these days," he said, "you may come to be of the opinion that
he is exactly the husband you would wish your niece to have."

"Never!" she cried. "If he were an angel in broadcloth. But I mustn't
talk about these things. I mentioned Mr Null to you because you are the