; but instead of this he seemed prepared to take upon
himself the chief part in the play that was to be acted between them.
"Shall it be so?" he said, still holding her hand.

"You are very kind."

"I will be more than kind; I will love you dearly if you will let me.
You don't suppose that I have looked you up here for nothing. Blood
is thicker than water, and you have nobody now so near to you as I
am. I don't see why you should be so poor, as the debts have been
paid."

"Papa has had to borrow money on his life interest in the place."

"That's the mischief! Never mind. We'll see if we can't do something.
And in the meantime don't make a stranger of me. Anything does for
me. Lord bless you! if you were to see how I rough it sometimes!
I can eat beans and bacon with any one; and what's more, I can go
without 'em if I can't get 'em."

"We'd better get ready for dinner now. I always dress, because papa
likes to see it." This she said as a hint to her cousin that he
would be expected to change his coat, for her father would have been
annoyed had his guest sat down to dinner without such ceremony. Will
Belton was not very good at taking hints; but he did understand this,
and made the necessary change in his apparel.

The evening was long and dull, and nothing occurred worthy of remark
except the surprise manifested by Mr. Amedroz when Belton called his
daughter by her Christian name. This he did without the slightest
hesitation, as though it were the most natural thing in the world for
him to do. She was his cousin, and cousins of course addressed each
other in that way. Clara's quick eye immediately saw her father's
slight gesture of dismay, but Belton caught nothing of this. The
squire took an early opportunity of calling him Mr. Belton with some
little peculiarity of expression; but this was altogether lost upon
Will, who five times in the next five minutes addressed "Clara" as
though they were already on the most intimate terms. She would have
answered him in the same way, and would have called him Will, had she
not been afraid of offending her father.

Mr. Amedroz had declared his purpose of coming down to breakfast
during the period of his cousin's visit, and at half-past nine he was
in the parlour. Clara had been there some time, but had not seen her
cousin. He entered the room immediately after her father, bringing
his hat with him in his hand, and wiping the drops of perspiration
from his brow. "You have b