t it on him, it is more for his real good and happiness to be a man
of the people, than a poor half-acknowledged gentleman. So much for my
Americanisms, Honor!'

'But the dissent--the cant!'

'Not so much cant as real piety obtrusively expressed. Poor old thing!
I have no fear but that little Giblets will go my way! he worships me,
and I shall not leave his _h's_ nor more important matters to her mercy.
He is nearly big enough for the day school Mr. Parsons is setting on
foot. It is a great consideration that the place is in the St. Matthew's
district!'

'Well, Owen, I cannot but see that it may be your rightest course; I hope
you may find yourself equal to it,' said Honor, struggling with a fresh
sense of desertion, though with admiration and esteem returning, such as
were well worth the disappointment.

'If not,' said Owen, smiling, to hide deeper feelings, 'I reserve to you
the pleasure of maintaining me, nursing me, or what not! If my carcase
be good for nothing, I hereby make it over to you. And now, Honor, I
have not been without thought for you. I can tell you of a better
successor for Brooks.'

'Well!' she said, almost crossly.

'Humfrey Charlecote Randolf,' said Owen, slowly, giving full effect to
the two Christian names.

Honor started, gasped, and snatching at the first that occurred of her
objections, exclaimed, 'But, my dear, he is as much an engineer as
yourself.'

'From necessity, not choice. He farmed till last August.'

'Canadian farming! Besides, what nonsense to offer a young man, with all
the world before him, to be bailiff of this little place.'

'It would, were he only to stand in Brooks's position; but if he were the
acknowledged heir, as he ought to be--yes, I know I am saying a dreadful
thing--but, my good Queen Elizabeth, your Grace would be far wiser to
accept Jamie at once than to keep your subjects fretting over your
partialities. He will be a worthy Humfrey Charlecote if you catch and
pin him down young. He will be worthy any way, but if you let him go
levelling and roaming over the world for the best half of his life, this
same Holt will lose its charms for him and his heirs for ever.'

'But--but how can you tell that he would be caught and pinned?'

'There is a very sufficient pin at the Underwood.'

'My dear Owen, impossible!'

'Mind, no one has told me in so many words, but Mervyn Fulmort gave me
such an examination on Randolf as men used to do when matrimony