considerable people, and he, though a younger
brother, had much more than a younger brother's portion. His seat
in Parliament was safe; his position in society was excellent and
secure; he was exactly so placed that marriage with a fortune was
the only thing wanting to put the finishing coping-stone to his
edifice;--that, and perhaps also the useful glory of having some
Lady Mary or Lady Emily at the top of his table. Lady Emily Aylmer?
Yes;--it would have sounded better, and there was a certain Lady
Emily who might have suited. Now, as some slight regrets stole upon
him gently, he failed to remember that this Lady Emily had not a
shilling in the world.

Yes; some faint regrets did steal upon him, though he went on telling
himself that he had acted rightly. His stars, which were generally
very good to him, had not perhaps on this occasion been as good as
usual. No doubt he had to a certain degree become encumbered with
Clara Amedroz. Had not the direct and immediate leap with which she
had come into his arms shown him somewhat too plainly that one word
of his mouth tending towards matrimony had been regarded by her as
being too valuable to be lost? The fruit that falls easily from the
tree, though it is ever the best, is never valued by the gardener.
Let him have well-nigh broken his neck in gathering it, unripe and
crude, from the small topmost boughs of the branching tree, and the
pippin will be esteemed by him as invaluable. On that morning, as
Captain Aylmer had walked home from church, he had doubted much what
would be Clara's answer to him. Then the pippin was at the end of
the dangerous bough. Now it had fallen to his feet, and he did not
scruple to tell himself that it was his, and always might have been
his as a matter of course. Well, the apple had come of a good kind,
and, though there might be specks upon it, though it might not be fit
for any special glory of show or pride of place among the dessert
service, still it should be garnered and used, and no doubt would be
a very good apple for eating. Having so concluded, Captain Aylmer
returned to the house, washed his hands, changed his boots, and went
down to the drawing-room just as dinner was ready. She came up to him
almost radiant with joy, and put her hand upon his arm. "Martha did
not know but what you were here," she said, "and told them to put
dinner on the table."

"I hope I have not kept you waiting."

"Oh, dear, no. And what if you did? Ladies