ard at all. You'll find, Mary, that he'll do
very well;--a great deal better than his father did."

"I'm sure I hope he may." After that Mrs Dale made her attempt to
escape; but the squire had taken her prisoner, and led her captive
into the house. "Mary," he said, as soon as he had induced her to sit
down, "it is time that this should be settled between my nephew and
niece."

"I am afraid there will be nothing to settle."

"What do you mean;--that you disapprove of it?"

"By no means,--personally. I should approve of it very strongly. But
that has nothing to do with the question."

"Yes, it has. I beg your pardon, but it must have, and should have a
great deal to do with it. Of course, I am not saying that anybody
should now ever be compelled to marry anybody."

"I hope not."

"I never said that they ought, and never thought so. But I do think
that the wishes of all her family should have very great weight with
a girl that has been well brought up."

"I don't know whether Bell has been well brought up; but in such a
matter as this nobody's wishes would weigh a feather with her; and,
indeed, I could not take upon myself even to express a wish. To you I
can say that I should have been very happy if she could have regarded
her cousin as you wish her to do."

"You mean that you are afraid to tell her so?"

"I am afraid to do what I think is wrong, if you mean that."

"I don't think it would be wrong, and therefore I shall speak to her
myself."

"You must do as you like about that, Mr Dale; I can't prevent you. I
shall think you wrong to harass her on such a matter, and I fear also
that her answer will not be satisfactory to you. If you choose to
tell her your opinion, you must do so. Of course I shall think you
wrong, that's all."

Mrs Dale's voice as she said this was stern enough, and so was her
countenance. She could not forbid the uncle to speak his mind to his
niece, but she especially disliked the idea of any interference with
her daughter. The squire got up and walked about the room, trying
to compose himself that he might answer her rationally, but without
anger.

"May I go now?" said Mrs Dale.

"May you go? Of course you may go if you like it. If you think that
I am intruding upon you in speaking to you of the welfare of your two
girls, whom I endeavour to regard as my own daughters,--except in
this, that I know they have never been taught to love me,--if you
think that it is an interference o