visit was only one of courtesy. His critical taste could not help being
satisfied with May's manners and the remarks she made, as much as it had
been by her beauty, and she began to feel that regard for him which she
naturally wished to have for the father of her intended husband.

The baronet, rising, said in a more formal tone than he had hitherto
used--

"I must beg of you, Miss Pemberton, a few minutes private conversation
before I bid you farewell."

"If you wish it we will go to the dining-room, or Mary and May will
leave us alone."

"Not on any account would I have them quit the drawing-room," answered
Sir Ralph, and stepping up to Miss Mary he lifted her hand to his lips,
bowing at the same time to May, with that courtesy which he considered
her beauty demanded, though his cold look gave her an unsatisfactory
feeling.

"I am obliged to you for allowing me an interview in private," he said,
as soon as he and Miss Jane were seated in the dining-room. "I wish to
make enquiries with regard to the young person residing with you, and
with whom, it appears, my son Harry has fallen in love. With all
respect to you you must be aware that I cannot consider a person in her
situation in any way a suitable wife for a son of mine, and though I do
not wish to throw blame upon you, I cannot help feeling that you have
been guilty of indiscretion, to use no stronger term, in allowing the
young people to meet in the way it appears they have done. I should
have expected, under the circumstances, that you would not have invited
him to the house, and had he called of his own accord would have kept
the young lady out of his way. I must therefore hold you responsible
for the consequences."

The tone of this address--so unlike that in which Sir Ralph had been
speaking in the drawing-room--took Miss Jane considerably aback; but she
was not to be easily brow-beaten even by her cousin.

"I am not conscious, Sir Ralph, of having acted in any way in which I
can blame myself," she answered, with as much dignity as she could
command. "We had no design when we expressed our pleasure at seeing
Harry at Downside, nor did we think of his falling in love with our
young friend."

"May I ask whether she is a relation, or to what family she belongs?"
asked Sir Ralph, abruptly.

"She is no relation, though we love her as one," said Miss Jane. "Has
not your son told you her history?"

"Not a word; he declined doing so," said the ba