ce, but what
I mean is, your governor being dead--don't you see--I consider you to
stand _in propria quae maribus_, as we used to say at old Mildman's."

"_In loco parentis_ is what you are aiming at, I imagine," returned I.

"Eh! Psha, it's all the same!" continued Lawless impatiently; "but what
do you say about it? Will you give your consent, and back me up a bit in
the business?--for I'm precious nervous, I can tell you."

"Am I to understand, then," said I, seeing an explanation was
inevitable, "that it is my sister who has inspired you with this very
alarming attachment?"

"Eh! yes, of course it is," was the reply; "haven't I been talking about
her for the last ten minutes? You are growing stupid all at once; did
you think it was your mother I meant?"

"Not exactly," replied I, smiling; "but have you ever considered
what Lord Cashingtown would say to your marrying a poor clergyman's
daughter?"

"What! my governor? oh! he'd be so delighted to get me married at any
price, that he would not care who it was to, so that she was a lady. He
knows how I shirk female society in general, and he is afraid I shall
break my neck some of these fine days, and leave him the ~356~~ honour
of being the last Lord Cashingtown as well as the first."

"And may I ask whether you imagine your suit likely to be favourably
received by the young lady herself?"

"Eh! why, you see it's not so easy to tell; I'm not used to the ways of
women, exactly. Now with horses I know every action, and can guess what
they'd be up to in a minute; |for instance, if they prick up their ears,
one may expect a shy, when they lay them back you may look out for a
bite or a kick; but, unluckily, women have not got movable ears."

"No," replied I, laughing at this singular regret; "they contrive to
make their eyes answer nearly the same purpose, though. Well, Lawless,
my answer is this--I cannot pretend to judge whether you and my sister
are so constituted as to increase each other's happiness by becoming
man and wife; that is a point I must leave to her to decide; she is no
longer a child, and her destiny shall be placed in her own hands; but I
think I may venture to say that if your parents are willing to receive
her, and she is pleased to accept you, you need not fear any opposition
on the part of my mother or myself."

"That's the time of day," exclaimed Lawless, rubbing his hands with
glee, "this is something like doing business; oh! it's jolly fun