at Sophie liked him. When, on a sudden, the heir said a word to his
aunt which was almost equal to firing a pistol at her head. "I think
Master Jack is making it all square with Sophie Mellerby."

If there was anything that Lady Scroope hated almost as much as improper
marriages it was slang. She professed that she did not understand it;
and in carrying out her profession always stopped the conversation to
have any word explained to her which she thought had been used in an
improper sense. The idea of a young man making it "all square" with a
young woman was repulsive, but the idea of this young man making it "all
square" with this young woman was so much more repulsive, and the misery
to her was so intensely heightened by the unconcern displayed by the
heir in so speaking of the girl with whom he ought to have been making
it "all square" himself, that she could hardly allow herself to be
arrested by that stumbling block. "Impossible!" she exclaimed,--"that is
if you mean,--if you mean,--if you mean anything at all."

"I do mean a good deal."

"Then I don't believe a word of it. It's quite out of the question. It's
impossible. I'm quite sure your brother understands his position as a
gentleman too thoroughly to dream of such a thing."

This was Greek to Fred Neville. Why his brother should not fall in love
with a pretty girl, and why a pretty girl should not return the feeling,
without any disgrace to his brother, Fred could not understand. His
brother was a Neville, and was moreover an uncommonly clever fellow.
"Why shouldn't he dream of it?"

"In the first place--. Well! I did think, Fred, that you yourself seemed
to be,--seemed to be taken with Miss Mellerby."

"Who? I? Oh, dear no. She's a very nice girl and all that, and I like
her amazingly. If she were Jack's wife, I never saw a girl I should so
much like for a sister."

"It is quite out of the question. I wonder that you can speak in such a
way. What right can your brother have to think of such a girl as Miss
Mellerby? He has no position;--no means."

"He is my brother," said Fred, with a little touch of anger,--already
discounting his future earldom on his brother's behalf.

"Yes;--he is your brother; but you don't suppose that Mr. Mellerby would
give his daughter to an officer in the Engineers who has, as far as I
know, no private means whatever."

"He will have,--when my mother dies. Of course I can't speak of doing
anything for anybody at present.