thing more
of the friend who has loved you.

MARY ASKERTON.

Clara's first impulse on receiving this letter was to go off at once
to the cottage, and insist on her privilege of choosing her own
friends. If she preferred Mrs. Askerton to Captain Aylmer, that was
no one's business but her own. And she would have done so had she not
been afraid of meeting with Colonel Askerton. To him she would not
have known how to speak on such a subject;--nor would she have known
how to conduct herself at the cottage without speaking of it. And
then, after a while, she felt that were she to do so,--should she
now deliberately determine to throw herself into Mrs. Askerton's
arms,--she must at the same time give up all idea of becoming Captain
Aylmer's wife. As she thought of this she asked herself various
questions concerning him, which she did not find it easy to answer.
Did she wish to be his wife? Could she assure herself that if they
were married they would make each other happy? Did she love him? She
was still able to declare to herself that the answer to the last
question should be an affirmative; but, nevertheless, she thought
that she could give him up without great unhappiness. And when she
began to think of Lady Aylmer, and to remember that Frederic Aylmer's
imperative demands upon her obedience had, in all probability, been
dictated by his mother, she was again anxious to go at once to the
cottage, and declare that she would not submit to any interference
with her own judgment.

On the next morning the postman brought to her a letter which was of
much moment to her,--but he brought to her also tidings which moved
her more even than the letter. The letter was from the lawyer,
and enclosed a cheque for seventy-five pounds, which he had been
instructed to pay to her, as the interest of the money left to her
by her aunt. What should be her answer to that letter she knew very
well,--and she instantly wrote it, sending back the cheque to Mr.
Green. The postman's news, more important than the letter, told her
that William Belton was at the inn at Redicote.

CHAPTER XXII.

PASSIONATE PLEADING.

Clara wrote her letter to the lawyer, returning the cheque, before
she would allow herself a moment to dwell upon the news of her
cousin's arrival. She felt that it was necessary to do that before
she should even see her cousin,--thus providing against any
difficulty which might arise from adverse advice on his part; an