m both
welcome to the house. "We have all heard so much good of Miss
Lowther, you know," said Mrs. Brownlow, "and she is not at all the
same as a stranger."

"That is true," said Sir Gregory, willing to be talked over.

"And then, you know, who can say whether Edith would ever have liked
him or not. You never can tell what way a young woman's feelings will
go."

On hearing this Sir Gregory uttered some sound intended to express
mildly a divergence of opinion. He did not doubt but what Edith would
have been quite willing to fall in love with Walter, had all things
been conformable to her doing so. Mrs. Brownlow did not notice this
as she continued,--"At any rate the poor girl would suffer dreadfully
now if she were allowed to think that you should be divided from
your nephew by your regard for her. Indeed, she could hardly stay at
Dunripple if that were so."

Mrs. Brownlow in a mild way suggested that nothing should be said to
Edith, and Sir Gregory gave half a promise that he would be silent.
But it was against his nature not to speak. When the moment came the
temptation to say something that could be easily said, and which
would produce some mild excitement, was always too strong for him.
"My dear," he said, one evening, when Edith was hovering round his
chair, "you remember what I once said to you about your cousin
Walter?"

"About Captain Marrable, uncle?"

"Well,--he is just the same as a cousin;--it turns out that he is
engaged to marry another cousin,--Mary Lowther."

"She is his real cousin, Uncle Gregory."

"I never saw the young lady,--that I know of."

"Nor have I,--but I've heard so much about her! And everybody says
she is nice. I hope they'll come and live here."

"I don't know yet, my dear."

"He told me all about it when he was here."

"Told you he was going to be married?"

"No, uncle, he did not tell me that exactly;--but he said
that--that--. He told me how much he loved Mary Lowther, and a great
deal about her, and I felt sure it would come so."

"Then you are aware that what I had hinted about you and Walter--"

"Don't talk about that, Uncle Gregory. I knew that it was ever so
unlikely, and I didn't think about it. You are so good to me that of
course I couldn't say anything. But you may be sure he is ever so
much in love with Miss Lowther; and I do hope we shall be so fond of
her!"

Sir Gregory was pacified and his headache for the time was cured. He
had had his little scheme,