"I hope not, Guardian," said I. "I can guarantee that there is no secresy in it. For it only happened yesterday." "Ay? And what is it, Esther?" "Guardian," said I, "you remember the happy night when we first came down to Bleak House? When Ada was singing in the dark room?" I wished to recall to his remembrance the look he had given me then. Unless I am much mistaken, I saw that I did so. "Because," said I, with a little hesitation. "Yes, my dear!" said he. "Don't hurry." "Because," said I, "Ada and Richard have fallen in love. And have told each other so." "Already?" cried my Guardian, quite astonished. "Yes!" said I, "and to tell you the truth, Guardian, I rather expected it." "The deuce you did!" said he. He sat considering for a minute or two; with his smile, at once so handsome and so kind, upon his changing face; and then requested me to let them know that he wished to see them. When they came, he encircled Ada with one arm, in his fatherly way, and addressed himself to Richard with a cheerful gravity. "Rick," said Mr. Jarndyce, "I am glad to have won your confidence. I hope to preserve it. When I contemplated these relations between us four which have so brightened my life, and so invested it with new interests and pleasures, I certainly did contemplate, afar off, the possibility of you and your pretty cousin here (don't be shy, Ada, don't be shy, my dear!) being in a mind to go through life together. I saw, and do see, many reasons to make it desirable. But that was afar off, Rick, afar off!" "We look afar off, sir," returned Richard. "Well!" said Mr. Jarndyce. "That's rational. Now, hear me, my dears! I might tell you that you don't know your own minds yet; that a thousand things may happen to divert you from one another; that it is well this chain of flowers you have taken up is very easily broken, or it might become a chain of lead. But I will not do that. Such wisdom will come soon enough, I dare say, if it is to come at all. I will assume that, a few years hence, you will be in your hearts to one another, what you are to-day. All I say before speaking to you according to that assumption is, if you _do_ change--if you _do_ come to find that you are more commonplace cousins to each other as man and woman, than you were as boy and girl (your manhood will excuse me, Rick!)--don't be ashamed still to confide in me, for there will be nothing monstrous or uncommon in it. I am only your friend and distant kinsman. I have no power over you whatever. But I wish and hope to retain your confidence, if I do nothing to forfeit it." "I am very sure, sir," returned Richard, "that I speak for Ada, too, when I say that you have the strongest power over us both--rooted in respect, gratitude, and affection, strengthening every day." "Dear cousin John," said Ada, on his shoulder, "my father's place can never be empty again. All the love and duty I could ever have rendered to him, is transferred to you."