medicines
to drive away his enemy, and they had failed in their effect on this
occasion.

The presence of his daughter, as usual, calmed him much, even while, as
usual too, it saddened him; for he could never forget that she had
disposed of herself for life in opposition to his wishes, though she had
secretly assured him that she would never have consented had she been as
old as she was now.

As on a former occasion, his wife wished to speak to him alone about the
girl's future, the time now drawing nigh at which Reynard was expected to
come and claim her. He would have done so already, but he had been put
off by the earnest request of the young woman herself, which accorded
with that of her parents, on the score of her youth. Reynard had
deferentially submitted to their wishes in this respect, the
understanding between them having been that he would not visit her before
she was eighteen, except by the mutual consent of all parties. But this
could not go on much longer, and there was no doubt, from the tenor of
his last letter, that he would soon take possession of her whether or no.

To be out of the sound of this delicate discussion Betty was accordingly
sent downstairs, and they soon saw her walking away into the shrubberies,
looking very pretty in her sweeping green gown, and flapping
broad-brimmed hat overhung with a feather.

On returning to the subject, Mrs. Dornell found her husband's reluctance
to reply in the affirmative to Reynard's letter to be as great as ever.

'She is three months short of eighteen!' he exclaimed. ''Tis too soon. I
won't hear of it! If I have to keep him off sword in hand, he shall not
have her yet.'

'But, my dear Thomas,' she expostulated, 'consider if anything should
happen to you or to me, how much better it would be that she should be
settled in her home with him!'

'I say it is too soon!' he argued, the veins of his forehead beginning to
swell. 'If he gets her this side o' Candlemas I'll challenge en--I'll
take my oath on't! I'll be back to King's-Hintock in two or three days,
and I'll not lose sight of her day or night!'

She feared to agitate him further, and gave way, assuring him, in
obedience to his demand, that if Reynard should write again before he got
back, to fix a time for joining Betty, she would put the letter in her
husband's hands, and he should do as he chose. This was all that
required discussion privately, and Mrs. Dornell went to call in Betty,