s mother, about Walter Marrable; some
also between him and his son, and between him and Miss Marrable,
his cousin. But as yet no one had spoken to Edith, and as Captain
Marrable himself had not spoken, it would have been as well, perhaps,
if Sir Gregory had held his tongue. After Edith's last answer the old
man was silent for awhile, and then he returned to the subject with a
downright question,--

"How did you like Walter when he was here?"

"Captain Marrable?"

"Yes,--Captain Marrable."

"I liked him well enough,--in a way, Uncle Gregory."

"Nothing would please me so much, Edith, as that you should become
his wife. You know that Dunripple will belong to him some day."

"If Gregory does not marry." Edith had hardly known whether to say
this or to leave it unsaid. She was well aware that her cousin
Gregory would never marry,--that he was a confirmed invalid, a man
already worn out, old before his time, and with one foot in the
grave. But had she not said it, she would have seemed to herself to
have put him aside as a person altogether out of the way.

"Gregory will never marry. Of course while he lives Dunripple will be
his; but if Walter were to marry he would make arrangements. I dare
say you can't understand all about that, my dear; but it would be a
very good thing. I should be so happy if I thought that you were to
live at Dunripple always."

Edith kissed him and escaped without giving any other answer. Ten
days after that Walter Marrable was to be again at Dunripple,--only
for a few days; but still in a few days the thing might be settled.
Edith had heard something of Mary Lowther, but not much. There had
been some idea of a match between Walter and his cousin Mary, but the
idea had been blown away. So much Edith had heard. To herself Walter
Marrable had been very friendly, and, in truth, she had liked him
much. They two were not cousins, but they were so connected, and had
for some weeks been so thrown together, as to be almost as good as
cousins. His presence at Dunripple had been very pleasant to her, but
she had never thought of him as a lover. And she had an idea of her
own, that girls ought not to think of men as lovers without a good
deal of provocation.

Sir Gregory spoke to Mrs. Brownlow on the same subject, and as he
told her what had taken place between him and Edith, she felt herself
compelled to speak to her daughter.

"If it should take place, my dear, it would be very well; but I would