his father; and the
conversation assumed a highly quarrelsome character. It was much to the
credit of masculine discretion that he refrained from reporting it when
he joined Honora in the morning's walk to Wrapworth churchyard. Behold!
some one was beforehand with them--even Lucilla and the curate!

The wearisome visit was drawing to a close when Captain Charteris
began--'Well, Miss Charlecote, have you thought over my proposal?'

'To take Owen to sea? Indeed, I hoped you were convinced that it would
never answer.'

'So far from being so, that I see it is his best chance. He will do no
good till the priggishness is knocked out of him.'

Honor would not trust herself to answer. Any accusation but this might
have been borne.

'Well, well,' said the captain, in a tone still more provoking, it was so
like hushing a petulant child, 'we know how kind you were, and that you
meant everything good; but it is not in the nature of things that a lad
alone with women should not be cock of the walk, and nothing cures that
like a month on board.'

'He will go to school,' said Honor, convinced all this was prejudice.

'Ay, and come home in the holidays, lording it as if he were master and
more, like the son and heir.'

'Indeed, Captain Charteris, you are quite mistaken; I have never allowed
Owen to think himself in that position. He knows perfectly well that
there are nearer claims upon me, and that Hiltonbury can never belong to
him. I have always rejoiced that it should be so. I should not like to
have the least suspicion that there could be self-interest in his
affection for me in the time to come; and I think it presumptuous to
interfere with the course of Providence in the matter of inheritances.'

'My good Miss Charlecote,' said the captain, who had looked at her with
somewhat of a pitying smile, instead of attending to her last words, 'do
you imagine that you know that boy?'

'I do not know who else should,' she answered, quivering between a
disposition to tears at the harshness, and to laughter at the assumption
of the stranger uncle to see farther than herself into her darling.

'Ha!' quoth the sailor, 'slippery--slippery fellows.'

'I do not understand you. You do not mean to imply that I have not his
perfect confidence, or do you think I have managed him wrongly? If you
do, pray tell me at once. I dare say I have.'

'I couldn't say so,' said Captain Charteris. 'You are an excellent good
woman, Mis