ather, that is just the truth. You wish me to marry; but,
dear, dear father, I can never bring myself to marry any one but _him_;
and he loves me truly, but does not seek me?" she breathed in a low and
tremulous tone, half smothered also by the hands with which she covered
her blushing face.

"Now what am I to do in this case? I have nothing against the young man
whatever, except his poverty and big long line of poor relations, that
will be sure to be a burden to him!" grumbled old Bertram to himself.

"But, father, we are so rich! We have enough for so many people,"
pleaded Sybil.

"Not enough to enrich all the Howes, my dear! But I like the young man,
I really do like him, and if he had more money, and less relations, I
should prefer him to any young man in the neighborhood for a
son-in-law."

"O father, dear father, thank you, thank you for saying that," exclaimed
Sybil, fervently kissing his hands.

"And now that you have told me your mind, what do you want me to do, my
darling?" he inquired, returning her caresses.

"Oh, dear father! an old man like you must know! I do want you to give
Lyon help and encouragement as you know best how to do it, without
wounding his pride. You sympathize with his political principles; let
him know that you do. You admire his character; let him feel that you
do."

"What else?"

"This. Since old Mr. Godwin died you have had no agent for your large
estate, and its accounts must be falling into disorder, Lyon is a
lawyer, you know. Offer him the agency of your estate, with a liberal
salary."

"Upon my word, I never thought of that before. Here for three months I
have been thinking whom I could get as an agent, and much as I esteemed
that young man I never once thought of applying to him! But the fact is,
I never looked upon him in the light of a business man, but only as a
brilliant barrister, and eloquent pleader."

"Yet, father, you know he _must_ be a good business man to have
collected such great stores of statistics as he has always at command."

"Well, my love, I will go to-day and offer him the agency. Now what
next?"

"He was too poor and too proud to come before, but as your agent, father,
you must bring him often to the house on business."

"And then?"

"You must leave the rest to me."

Thus it was that the young lawyer became the agent for the great Black
Valley Manor. This agency included not only the management of the
revenues from several rich farms, bu