thout offending him. He was cautious not
to do that, because he was going to mine for coal, and feared
remonstrances, and wanted Walter to take his part, or at least to be
neutral, knowing his love for Mary. So they parted good friends; but when
he retailed the result to Julia Clifford she shook her head, and said the
old fox had outwitted him. Soon after, knitting her brows in thought for
some time, she said, "She is very young, much younger than she looks. I
am afraid you will have to wait a little, and watch."

"But," said Walter, in dismay, "am I not to see her or speak to her all
the time I am waiting?"

"I'd see both fathers hanged first, if I was a man," said Julia.

In short, under the courageous advice of Julia Clifford, Walter began to
throw himself in Mary's way, and look disconsolate; that set Mary pining
directly, and Julia found her pale, and grieving for Walter, and
persuaded her to write him two or three lines of comfort; she did, and
that drew pages from him. Unfortunately he did not restrain himself, but
flung his whole heart upon paper, and raised a tumult in the innocent
heart of her who read his passionate longings.

She was so worked upon that at last one day she confided to Julia that
her old nurse was going to visit her sister, Mrs. Gilbert, who lived only
ten miles off, and she thought she should ride and see her.

"When?" asked Julia, carelessly.

"Oh, any day next week," said Mary, carelessly. "Wednesday, if it is
fine. She will not be there till Monday."

"Does she know?" asked Julia.

"Oh yes; and left because she could not agree with papa about it; and,
dear, she said a strange thing--a very strange thing: she knew papa's
reasons against him, and they were her reasons for him."

"Fancy that!" said Julia. "Your father told you what the reasons were?"

"No; he wouldn't. They both treat me like a child."

"You mean they pretend to," she added.

"I see one thing; there is some mystery behind this. I wonder what it
is?"

"Ten to one, it is money. I am only twenty, but already I have found out
that money governs the world. Let me see--your mother was a Clifford. She
must have had money. Did she settle any on you?"

"I am sure I don't know."

"Ten to one she did, and your father is your trustee; and when you
marry, he must show his accounts and cash up. There, that is where the
shoe pinches."

Mary was distressed.

"Oh, don't say so, dear. I can't bear to think that of papa. Y