I am to go and live at
Scarrowby at once, and have the shooting. He can't want me to remain
there all by myself."

"But he does; and so do I."

"Why?"

In order that he might be made clean by the fire of solitude and the
hammer of hard work. She could not quite say this to him. "You know,
George, your life has been one of pleasure."

"I was in the army,--for some years."

"But you left it, and you took to going to races, and they say that
you gambled and are in debt, and you have been reckless. Is not that
true, George?"

"It is true."

"And should you wonder that Papa should be afraid to trust his only
child and all his property to one who,--who knows that he has been
reckless? But if you can show, for a year or two, that you can give
up all that--"

"Wouldn't it be all given up if we were married?"

"Indeed, I hope so. I should break my heart otherwise. But can you
wonder that Papa should wish for some delay and some proof?"

"Two years!"

"Is that much? If I find you doing what he wishes, these two years
will be so happy to me! We shall come and see you, and you will come
here. I have never liked Scarrowby, because it is not pretty, as this
place is; but, oh, how I shall like to go there now! And when you are
here, Papa will get to be so fond of you. You will be like a real son
to him. Only you must be steady."

"Steady! by Jove, yes. A fellow will have to be steady at Scarrowby."
The perfume of the cleanliness of the life proposed to him was not
sweet to his nostrils.

She did not like this, but she knew that she could not have
everything at once. "You must know," she said, "that there is a
bargain between me and Papa. I told him that I should tell you
everything."

"Yes; I ought to be told everything."

"It is he that shall fix the day. He is to do so much, that he has a
right to that. I shall never press him, and you must not."

"Oh, but I shall."

"It will be of no use; and, George, I won't let you. I shall scold
you if you do. When he thinks that you have learned how to manage the
property, and that your mind is set upon that kind of work, and that
there are no more races,--mind, and no betting, then,--then he will
consent. And I will tell you something more if you would like to hear
it."

"Something pleasant, is it?"

"When he does, and tells me that he is not afraid to give me to you,
I shall be the happiest girl in all England. Is that pleasant?--No,
George, no; I will not have i