"Good-night, my dear child," he said. "Let me play doctor with a bit of good advice. Make up your mind for a long night's rest, and ask your uncle and aunt to excuse you at breakfast in the morning. You must hasten slowly to get back your strength. Good-night." "You'll have to take great care of her, James," he continued, as he returned to his seat. "Umph! Yes, I mean to," said the host. "A very, very sweet girt," said Garstang thoughtfully, and his face was perfectly calm as he met his stepson's shifty glance. Then coffee was brought in; Claud, at a hint from his lather, fetched a cigar box, and was drawn out by Garstang during the smoking to give a lull account of their sport that afternoon with the pike. "Quite bent the gaff hook," he was saying later on, when the grating of wheels was heard; and soon after the young men started, Mrs Wilton coming into the hall to see them off and advise them both to wrap up well about their chests. That night John Garstang broke his host's rules by keeping his candle burning late, while he sat thinking deeply by the bedroom fire; for he had a good deal upon his brain just then. "No," he said at last, as he rose to wind up his watch; "she would not dare. But fore-warned is fore-armed, my man. You were never meant for a diplomat. Bah! Nor for anything else." But it was a long time that night before John Garstang slept. CHAPTER TEN. "I say, guv'nor, when's old Garstang going?" "Oh, very soon, now, boy," said James Wilton testily. "But you said that a week ago, and he seems to be settling down as if the place belonged to him." The father uttered a deep, long-drawn sigh. "It's no use for you to snort, dad; that doesn't do any good. Why don't you tell him to be off?" "No, no; impossible; and mind what you are about; be civil to him." "Well, I am. Can't help it; he's so jolly smooth with a fellow, and has such good cigars--I say, guv'nor, rather different to your seventeen-and-six-penny boxes of weeds. I wouldn't mind, only he's in the way so. Puts a stop to, you know what. I never get a chance with her alone; here are you two shut up all the morning over the parchments, and she don't come down; and when she does he carries me off with him. Then at night you're all there." "Never mind! he will soon go now; we have nearly done." "I'm jolly glad of it. I've been thinking that if it's going on much longer I'd better do without the four greys." "Eh?" "Oh, you know, guv'nor; toddle off to Gretna Green, or wherever they do the business, and get it over." "No, no, no, no. There must be no nonsense, my boy," said Wilton, uneasily. "Don't do anything rash." "Oh, no, I won't do anything rash," said Claud, with an unpleasant grin; "only one must make one's hay when the sun shines, guv'nor." "There's one thing about his visit," said Wilton hurriedly; "it has done her a great deal of good; she isn't like the same girl." "No; she has come out jolly. Makes it a little more bearable."