king of what it was that he did want. And so they sat sipping
their wine. The turn which the conversation had taken had for the
moment nearly put Lady Mason out of the young man's head.

"You would be very young to marry yet," said the baronet.

"Yes, I should be young; but I don't know that there is any harm in
that."

"Quite the contrary, if a young man feels himself to be sufficiently
settled. Your mother I know would be very glad that you should marry
early;--and so should I, if you married well."

What on earth could all this mean? It could not be that his
grandfather knew that he was in love with Miss Staveley; and had this
been known his grandfather would not have talked of Harriet Tristram.
"Oh yes; of course a fellow should marry well. I don't think much of
marrying for money."

"Nor do I, Peregrine;--I think very little of it."

"Nor about being of very high birth."

"Well; it would make me unhappy--very unhappy if you were to marry
below your own rank."

"What do you call my own rank?"

"I mean any girl whose father is not a gentleman, and whose mother is
not a lady; and of whose education among ladies you could not feel
certain."

"I could be quite certain about her," said Peregrine, very
innocently.

"Her! what her?"

"Oh, I forgot that we were talking about nobody."

"You don't mean Harriet Tristram?"

"No, certainly not."

"Of whom were you thinking, Peregrine? May I ask--if it be not too
close a secret?" And then again there was a pause, during which
Peregrine emptied his glass and filled it again. He had no objection
to talk to his grandfather about Miss Staveley, but he felt ashamed
of having allowed the matter to escape him in this sort of way. "I
will tell you why I ask, my boy," continued the baronet. "I am going
to do that which many people will call a very foolish thing."

"You mean about Lady Mason."

"Yes; I mean my own marriage with Lady Mason. We will not talk about
that just at present, and I only mention it to explain that before I
do so, I shall settle the property permanently. If you were married
I should at once divide it with you. I should like to keep the old
house myself, till I die--"

"Oh, Sir!"

"But sooner than give you cause of offence I would give that up."

"I would not consent to live in it unless I did so as your guest."

"Until your marriage I think of settling on you a thousand a
year;--but it would add to my happiness if I thought it likely that