is uncle had been angry with him as well as
with his niece. In his anger he determined that he would go again to
his sister-in-law, and, after some unreasonable fashion he resolved
that it would become him to be very angry with her also, if she
declined to assist him with all her influence as a mother.

"Why should they not both marry?" he said to himself. Lord De Guest's
offer as to young Eames had been very generous. As he had then
declared, he had not been able to express his own opinion at once;
but on thinking over what the earl had said, he had found himself
very willing to heal the family wound in the manner proposed if any
such healing might be possible. That however could not be done quite
as yet. When the time should come, and he thought it might come
soon,--perhaps in the spring, when the days should be fine and the
evenings again long,--he would be willing to take his share with the
earl in establishing that new household. To Crosbie he had refused to
give anything, and there was upon his conscience a shade of remorse
in that he had so refused. But if Lily could be brought to love this
other man, he would be more open-handed. She should have her share
as though she was in fact his daughter. But then, if he intended to
do so much for them at the Small House, should not they in return
do something also for him? So thinking, he went again to his
sister-in-law, determined to explain his views, even though it might
be at the risk of some hard words between them. As regarded himself,
he did not much care for hard words spoken to him. He almost expected
that people's words should be hard and painful. He did not look
for the comfort of affectionate soft greetings, and perhaps would
not have appreciated them had they come to him. He caught Mrs Dale
walking in the garden, and brought her into his own room, feeling
that he had a better chance there than in her own house. She, with an
old dislike to being lectured in that room, had endeavoured to avoid
the interview, but had failed.

"So I met John Eames at the manor," he had said to her in the garden.

"Ah, yes; and how did he get on there? I cannot conceive poor Johnny
keeping holiday with the earl and his sister. How did he behave to
them, and how did they behave to him?"

"I can assure you he was very much at home there."

"Was he, indeed? Well, I hope it will do him good. He is, I'm sure, a
very good young man; only rather awkward."

"I didn't think him awkw