of her."

"Then I don't see why you should interest yourself."

"For the young lady's sake. A lady always prefers a young gentleman
to an old one. Only think what you'd feel if you were married to Mr
Whittlestaff."

"Oh, Montagu! how can you talk such nonsense?"

"I don't suppose you ever would, because you are not one of those
sort of young ladies. I don't suppose that Mary Lawrie likes it
herself; and therefore I'd break the match off in a moment if I
could. That's what I call good-natured."

After lunch they all went off to the Rookery, which was at the other
side of the park from Gar Wood. It was a beautiful spot, lying at
the end of the valley, through which they had to get out from their
carriage, and to walk for half a mile. Only for the sake of doing
honour to Miss Forrester, they would have gone on foot. But as it
was, they had all the six horses among them. Mr Gordon was put up
on one of the young ladies' steeds, the squire and the parson each
had his own, and Miss Evelina was also mounted, as Mr Blake had
suggested, perhaps with the view to the capture of Mr Gordon. "As
it's your first day," whispered Mr Blake to Kattie, "it is so nice,
I think, that the carriage and horses should all come out. Of course
there is nothing in the distance, but there should be a respect shown
on such an occasion. Mr Hall does do everything of this kind just as
it should be."

"I suppose you know the young lady who is coming here to-night," said
Evelina to Mr Gordon.

"Oh, yes; I knew her before I went abroad."

"But not Mr Whittlestaff?"

"I had never met Mr Whittlestaff, though I had heard much of his
goodness."

"And now they are to be married. Does it not seem to you to be very
hard?"

"Not in the least. The young lady seems to have been left by her
father and step-mother without any engagement, and, indeed, without
any provision. She was brought here, in the first place, from sheer
charity, and I can certainly understand that when she was here Mr
Whittlestaff should have admired her."

"That's a matter of course," said Evelina.

"Mr Whittlestaff is not at all too old to fall in love with any
young lady. This is a pretty place,--a very lovely spot. I think I
like it almost better than Gar Wood." Then there was no more said
about Mary Lawrie till they all rode back to dinner.

CHAPTER XIV.

MR WHITTLESTAFF IS GOING OUT TO DINNER.

"There's an invitation come, asking us to dine at Little Alresford