“Why? Oh, because I think it will be good for him, that he will be happier, that he will settle down,” she answered with a little confusion. Surely he must know as well as she did that there were many reasons for wishing Chris to grow more steady. A little prim suggestion of this feeling was noticeable in her tone. “I don’t think he would settle down, if so he was to marry a girl he didn’t care for,” said Bram bluntly. “And I should have thought you would agree with me, understanding Mr. Christian as you do, Miss Hester.” Miss Cornthwaite drew her lips rather primly together. “He does care for her, of course,” said she rather tartly, “else why should he marry her?” Bram smiled, and gave her a glance of something like scorn. “There are a good many reasons why he should marry to please Mr. Cornthwaite, your father, when he can’t marry to please himself.” “Why can’t he? Who does he want to marry?” asked Miss Cornthwaite quickly. “Why, Miss Biron, Miss Claire Biron, of Duke’s Farm,” replied honest Bram promptly. Hester’s thin and rather wizened face flushed. She frowned; she looked annoyed. “Dear me! I never heard anything about it,” she said testily. “And I can hardly think he would wish to do anything so very unwise. Christian isn’t stupid, though he’s rather volatile.” “Stupid! No, indeed. That he should want to marry Miss Biron is no proof of stupidity. Where could he find a nicer wife? How could you expect him to sit and look contentedly at Miss Hibbs when there is such a girl as Miss Biron within ten miles?” Hester looked more prim than ever. “You seem very enthusiastic, Mr. Elshaw. Pray, what have you to say about Mr. Biron?” “Well, Mr. Christian wouldn’t have to marry him.” “That is just what he would have to do,” retorted she quickly. “Mr. Biron would take good care of that. Christian would never be able to shake him off.” “Well,” said Bram, “he can’t shake him off now, can he? So he would be no worse off.” “Now, seriously, Mr. Elshaw, would you like to have such a father-in-law yourself?” Bram’s heart leapt up. But he did not tell the young lady that he only wished he had the chance. Instead of that, he answered in a particularly grave and judicial tone-- “If I had, I’d soon bring him to reason. He’s not stupid either, you see. I’d make an arrangement with him, and I’d make him keep to it. And if he didn’t keep to it----” “And he certainly wouldn’t. What then?” “Well, then perhaps I’d get rid of him some way, Miss Hester.” “I certainly shouldn’t advise my brother to run the risk of having to do that, and all for a girl much too volatile to make him a good wife. Why, she is nearly half French.” Bram looked at her quickly. “Surely, Miss Hester, you who have travelled and been about the world, don’t think the worse of a lady for that?” Miss Cornthwaite reddened, but she stuck to her guns.