“He is very fond of her; I’ll say that for him,” said Sir Thomas hurriedly. “Not perhaps in the boy-and-girl way. And she--well, if you put me to it, I think she likes him, Frances. They are as friendly as possible together. She would go to him, I believe, with any of her little difficulties. And he has as much faith in her--as much faith as in---- I can’t put a limit to his faith in her,” he said. Frances looked up at him with the grave judicial look into which she had been forming her soft face. “All you say, Sir Thomas, looks like a father and child. I would do that to papa--or to you.” Here he burst, to her astonishment, into a great fit of laughter, not without a little tremor, as of some other feeling in it. “You are a little Daniel,” he said. “That’s quite conclusive, my dear. Oh, wise young judge, how I do honour thee!” “But----” Frances cried, a little bewildered. Then she added: “Well, you may laugh at me if you like. Of course, I am no judge; but if the gentleman is so like her father, cannot she be quite happy in being fond of him, instead of----? Oh no! Marrying is quite different--quite, _quite_ different. I feel sure she would think so, if you were to ask her, herself,” she said. “And what about the poor old man?” “You did not say he was a poor old man; you said he was elderly, which means----” “About my age.” “That is not an old man. And worldly--which is not like you. I think, if he is what you say, that he would like better to keep his friend; because people can be friends, Sir Thomas, don’t you think, though one is young and one is old?” “Certainly, Frances--witness you and me.” She took his arm affectionately of her own accord and gave it a little kind pressure. “That is just what I was thinking,” she said, with the pleasantest smile in the world. Sir Thomas took Lady Markham aside in the evening and repeated this conversation. “I don’t know who can have put such an absurd rumour about,” he said. “Nor I,” said Lady Markham; “but there are rumours about every one. It is not worth while taking any notice of them.” “But if I had thought Frances would have liked it, I should never have hesitated a moment.” “She might not what you call like it,” said Lady Markham, dubiously; “and yet she might----” “Be talked into it, for her good? I wonder,” said Sir Thomas, with spirit, “whether my old friend, who has always been a model woman in my eyes, thinks that would be very creditable to me?”