who were about the
same age as my girls; and that as we were his nearest relations,
and you were at present his heir, it would be quite the right and
proper thing for us to come down. He seemed quite in earnest about
it, and I should not be surprised if we go."

Three months later, Stanley heard that the visit had been paid, and
that they had stayed a fortnight there.

"It feels quite funny, settling down here again after being in that
big house, with all those servants and grandeur; not that there is
any grandeur about Harry. He insists, being relations, that we
shall call him by his Christian name. Everything was delightful.
Every afternoon we used to go driving and, of a morning, he
generally rode with the girls. He had a very pretty, gentle horse
for Agnes; and a gray pony, a beauty, for Kate. I have a strong
suspicion that he had bought them both, on purpose. I should not be
surprised--but no, I won't say anything about it."

Stanley puzzled over this sentence, which was followed by:

"His sisters are very nice girls."

"It is evidently something about Harry," he said to himself;
"possibly she has taken the idea into her head that he may fall in
love with Agnes. That, certainly, would be a very nice thing; but I
don't suppose it is anything more than an idea of mother's."

However, four months later he received a letter from Harry,
announcing his engagement.

"I told your mother that she must let me write by the mail, before
she did; as it was only right that I should have the pleasure of
telling you the news, myself. It is splendid, old man; upon my
word, I don't know which I ought to feel most grateful to you--for
saving my life, or for getting me to know your sister. It seems to
me a regular dispensation of Providence. You did everything you
could to prevent yourself from coming into a title; and now your
sister is going to take it, and me. It is quite right that we
should come to be brothers-in-law, for we are quite like brothers,
already.

"We are to be married in the spring. How I wish you could be with
us. Your absence will be the only thing wanting, to make everything
perfect. I do hope you don't mean to stay, grilling out there, many
years. It seems to me monstrous that I should be having estates and
a big income, and all that sort of thing, when I have done nothing
to deserve it; and that you should be toiling in that beastly
climate. If I thought that there was the least chance of your
rushi