n her from the youth her parents had chosen for her husband; but how,
when he discovered that his love was returned by her, he felt himself
bound as a man of honor to declare his affection and offer her his hand,
subject to her father's approval."

"He--told you this?" demanded the lady, in a husky tone, turning away her
head to conceal the look of scorn and hatred she could not entirely
suppress.

"Yes, dear! he told me this; and then--he left the case in my hands with
perfect submission. Could any action have been more manly and
straightforward? And she, too--Heaven bless her, she, too! She sent me
word, through him, that though her heart was fixed on Angus Anglesea, yet
she submitted herself entirely to my will, and would obey my commands. Did
ever father have such a daughter, so gentle, so dutiful, so obedient as
Odalite? Or did ever girl have such a lover, so noble, generous and
magnanimous as Anglesea? Why--fine fellow--he felt for my disappointment
as if it had been his own; and he exaggerated it, as I have told you! And
he offered--dear fellow--to merge his own name in ours, so that my
cherished wish to send the patronymic down with the estate might be
carried out."

"But that will not be necessary," said the lady, recovering from her
emotion, and with a grim smile arising out of her own thoughts.

"How, not necessary, my dear?"

"In this way: Leonidas Force, who is but twenty-one, can afford to wait
two years and marry Wynnette, who will then be of marriageable age. They
can live at Greenbushes, and in due course of time they can succeed us
here at Mondreer."

"But Mondreer is the heritage of our eldest daughter."

"Not necessarily; not by entail, only by tradition and custom. You can
leave your estate to whom you please; though, of course, you need not
think of leaving it to any one; for you may hold it yourself for fifty
years to come. You are not forty, and you may live to be ninety. But when
you do leave it, it would be better to leave it to Wynnette."

"And--Odalite?"

"You lose sight of one matter, dear Abel--the future possibilities of our
eldest daughter."

"I--do not quite understand. Anglesea, I know, has no very great
expectations from any quarter, and so if he should marry Odalite they may
need Mondreer; and Anglesea has promised to take the family name that it
may go down with the estate."

"I think I can show you that the estate of Mondreer can be secured to the
Forces by the marriag