‘Bah! She has twelve hundred a year of her own, to do what she likes with. Whoever heard of a parson, rich or poor, that could rise above such a thing as that?’ said Otho, with brutality. ‘And then, all places are not like Bradstane. They may like blues and freckles down there.... As for his being a man of wealth, family, and position, you might say that of me;’ and he laughed cynically. ‘She’s as good as he is, any day.’ ‘Yes,’ said Magdalen, gently. ‘She is your sister.’ She took up her work. ‘It seems to me that you are making a great fuss about nothing. Why make any difference at all for her? Thorsgarth is your house, not hers, though she has the right to live there, under present circumstances. It is large enough in all conscience. Half a dozen families might live there, and hardly ever meet in the passages. Give her a sitting-room for herself, and tell her you are sorry that your business doesn’t leave you time to see very much of her. It will not be long before she finds out what a dull place Bradstane is, and I do not think she will care to remain in it very long, especially with such a sympathetic brother.’ ‘You are a gem!’ he said, admiringly. ‘And bring her up to see me as soon as you can, after she comes.’ ‘The next afternoon, if it’s fine,’ he said, eagerly. ‘Yes, the next afternoon, if you like. It will make no difference to me.’ Then, as if she had had enough of the subject, she returned the letter to him, and asked, ‘Is there no meet to-day?’ ‘No. We got word last night that there wouldn’t be. I’m going down to Bradstane just now, to the works. By the way, I had a letter from Gilbert, too, this morning. He’s coming down for Christmas, as usual.’ ‘Oh, he never fails you.’ ‘No; he never does. I must take care not to bring him up here while his brother is on the premises. When does he come, now?’ ‘I know nothing about it. Sometimes at one hour, sometimes at another. And the surest way to bring about a collision is to take so much care to avoid one. As if there were not room for Gilbert and him in the house without dodging in that stupid way!’ ‘That’s all very fine, but accidents will happen. Suppose they were to meet, after all, and have a shindy.’ ‘A shindy! Really, Otho, you exasperate me. In the first place, though you might, and probably would, make a shindy under such circumstances, you ought to know that they would never make one under any circumstances. And if they wished to, ever so, would they dare, before me?’ ‘Whew—w!’ murmured Otho, under his breath; and then aloud— ‘It seems as if all I said offended you this morning, Magdalen. However, I’ll be more good-natured than you, and say thank you for your advice, which I shall follow. I must be off now.’