e room in the vehemence of his argument; and Clara, in answering
him, had also put forth all her strength. She had expected that he
also was going to speak to her on the propriety of her going to
Norfolk; but he made no allusion to that subject, although all that
he did say was founded on Will Belton's letter to himself. Belton, in
speaking of the cottage, had told Colonel Askerton that Miss Amedroz
would be his future landlord, and had then gone on to explain that
it was his, Belton's, intention to destroy the entail, and allow the
property to descend from the father to the daughter. "As Miss Amedroz
is with you now," he said, "may I beg you to take the trouble to
explain the matter to her at length, and to make her understand that
the estate is now, at this moment, in fact her own. Her possession of
it does not depend on any act of hers,--or, indeed, upon her own will
or wish in the matter." On this subject Colonel Askerton had argued,
using all his skill to make Clara in truth perceive that she was
her father's heiress,--through the generosity undoubtedly of her
cousin,--and that she had no alternative but to assume the possession
which was thus thrust upon her.

And so eloquent was the Colonel that Clara was staggered, though she
was not convinced. "It is quite impossible," she said. "Though he may
be able to make it over to me, I can give it back again."

"I think not. In such a matter as this a lady in your position can
only be guided by her natural advisers,--her father's lawyer and
other family friends."

"I don't know why a young lady should be in any way different from an
old gentleman."

"But an old gentleman would not hesitate under such circumstances.
The entail in itself was a cruelty, and the operation of it on your
poor brother's death was additionally cruel."

"It is cruel that any one should be poor," argued Clara; "but that
does not take away the right of a rich man to his property."

There was much more of this sort said between them, till Clara was
at any rate convinced that Colonel Askerton believed that she ought
to be the owner of the property. And then at last he ventured upon
another argument which soon drove Clara out of the room. "There is,
I believe, one way in which it can all be made right," said he.

"What way?" said Clara, forgetting in her eagerness the obviousness
of the mode which her companion was about to point out.

"Of course, I know nothing of this myself," he said smili