"Yes, she is a beautiful girl, Lucian, and as guileless--as--as Psyche herself; and brought up by a good woman. But she is only eighteen, and no man can say what she will grow up to. There will be a very great deal of her, Lucian. She is a great prize. She is rarely beautiful, and she has brains, and is highly strung. She will expect a great deal of life. She does not know at all, yet, what she will need. She has all her growing and her living to do in the future." "So have I," said Lucian. "But one knows very well what one will come to." "Yes, my dear Lucian, that is the very thing. But no one can know what Amethyst Haredale will come to. It's a very serious thing to marry a girl who comes of so doubtful a stock. And, my dear boy, I am certain that her mother is not a good woman." "Of course," said Lucian, "I know all about her people. I shall take her right away from them. She has never been with Lady Haredale." "Your mind is quite made up?" "Of course," said Lucian. "It's quite easy for me to marry early, and I don't see why I should not. My mother will get used to it." Lucian still uttered no expressions of enthusiastic love. He hardly attempted to defend Amethyst. His fair, beautifully formed face was quite still and impassive. He had made up his mind and so had Amethyst, and, with her by his side, he meant to begin at once to lead the life to which he believed himself called; to live on his estate, look after his tenants, keep up his shooting, attend to public business, and set a good example in his own neighbourhood. As he said himself, he knew exactly what he was going to grow to, and he never doubted that his wife would grow in the same direction as himself. He was a thoroughly good fellow; but Mr Riddell wondered whether he was quite the mate for the lovely child, in whose face a thousand possibilities were written, and whose nature was all in bud. The Rector was, however, a man who could recognise the inevitable. He saw that the engagement must be, and could only hope that the quick-springing love between the pair was warm enough to fuse these two natures into one. At least, they were still in a soft and malleable stage of existence. He set himself, therefore, not to talk over the young man, but to endeavour to reconcile Mrs Leigh to her son's choice; and, what was perhaps equally hard, to the fact of his early marriage, and separation from her family circle. Lucian set off for Cleverley Hall, looking and feeling much as if he had been about to walk up to a cannon's mouth. He was an odd mixture of self-confidence and unreadiness, and, though he felt perfectly sure that he was a right choice for Amethyst, he had no words in which to convey as much to her father. All the trouble, however, was saved him, for he was shown into the morning-room to Lady Haredale.