the
bush, had of course been inadequate to retrieve the ruined fortunes of
the family; but he had shown wonderful spirit, patience, and
perseverance, and the duteous temper in which he had borne the sacrifice
of his prospects by his father's foolish speculations and unsuitable
marriage, his affectionate treatment of the wife and children when left
on his hands, and his cheerful endurance of the severest and most
hopeless drudgery for the bare support of life, had all been such as to
inspire the utmost confidence in his character. Of his future prospects,
Owen spoke with a sigh almost of envy. His talent and industry had
already made him a valuable assistant to Mr. Currie, and an able engineer
had an almost certain career of prosperity open to him. Lastly Mervyn
asked what was the connection with Miss Charlecote, and what
possibilities it held out. Owen winced for a moment, then explained the
second cousinship, adding, however, that there was no entail, that the
disposal of Miss Charlecote's property was entirely in her own power, and
that she had manifested no intention of treating the young man with more
than ordinary civility, in fact that she had rather shrunk from
acknowledging his likeness to the family. His father's English relatives
had, in like manner, owned him as a kinsman; but had shown no alacrity in
making friends with him. The only way to be noticed, as the two
gentlemen agreed, when glad to close their conference in a laugh, is to
need no notice.

'Uncommon hard on a fellow,' soliloquized Owen, when left alone. 'Is it
not enough to have one's throat cut, but must one do it with one's own
hands? It is a fine thing to be magnanimous when one thinks one is going
off the stage, but quite another thing when one is to remain there. I'm
no twelfth century saint, only a nineteenth century beggar, with an
unlucky child on my hands! Am I to give away girl, land, and all to the
fellow I raked out of his swamps? Better have let him grill and saved my
limbs! And pray what more am I to do? I've introduced him, made no
secret of his parentage, puffed him off, and brought him here, and pretty
good care he takes of himself! Am I to pester poor Honey if she does
prefer the child she bred up to a stranger? No, no, I've done my part:
let him look out for himself!'

Mervyn allowed to Phoebe that Randolf was no impostor, but warned her
against assuming his consent. She suspected that Owen at least guessed
the