. Either that course was necessary to them, or
the other course, of letting it be known that they were enemies.
Friendship was the less troublesome, and therefore the two families
called on each other from time to time, and gave each other dinners
about once a year. The earl regarded the squire as a man who had
deserted his politics, and had thereby forfeited the respect due
to him as an hereditary land magnate; and the squire was wont to
belittle the earl as one who understood nothing of the outer world.
At Guestwick Manor Bernard was to some extent a favourite. He was
actually a relative, having in his veins blood of the De Guests, and
was not the less a favourite because he was the heir to Allington,
and because the blood of the Dales was older even than that of the
noble family to which he was allied. When Bernard should come to be
the squire, then indeed there might be cordial relations between
Guestwick Manor and Allington; unless, indeed, the earl's heir and
the squire's heir should have some fresh cause of ill-will between
themselves.

They found Lady Julia sitting in her drawing-room alone, and
introduced to her Mr Crosbie in due form. The fact of Lily's
engagement was of course known at the manor, and it was quite
understood that her intended husband was now brought over that he
might be looked at and approved. Lady Julia made a very elaborate
curtsey, and expressed a hope that her young friend might be made
happy in that sphere of life to which it had pleased God to call her.

"I hope I shall, Lady Julia," said Lily, with a little laugh; "at any
rate I mean to try."

"We all try, my dear, but many of us fail to try with sufficient
energy of purpose. It is only by doing our duty that we can hope to
be happy, whether in single life or in married."

"Miss Dale means to be a dragon of perfection in the performance of
hers," said Crosbie.

"A dragon!" said Lady Julia. "No; I hope Miss Lily Dale will never
become a dragon." And then she turned to her nephew. It may be as
well to say at once that she never forgave Mr Crosbie the freedom of
the expression which he had used. He had been in the drawing-room of
Guestwick Manor for two minutes only, and it did not become him to
talk about dragons. "Bernard," she said, "I heard from your mother
yesterday. I am afraid she does not seem to be very strong." And then
there was a little conversation, not very interesting in its nature,
between the aunt and the nephew as