"Well, we are neither of us quite so far gone as that, I hope--not quite so far gone as that;" and Sir Lionel looked very pleasant. "But, speaking for myself, I have not many wants now"--nor had he, pleasant old man that he was; only three or four comfortable rooms for himself and his servant; a phaeton and a pair of horses; and another smaller establishment in a secluded quiet street; nothing more than that, including of course all that was excellent in the eating and drinking line--"speaking for myself, I have not many wants now." And he did look very good-humoured and pleasant as he spoke. Mr. Bertram senior did not look good-humoured or pleasant. There was that in his old eye which was the very opposite to good-humour and pleasantness. "Ah!" said he. "Well I am glad of that, for you will be able to do the more for poor George. He will have wants; he is going to take care and trouble on himself. Neither he nor his sweetheart have, I take it, been accustomed to do without wants; and their income will be tight enough--forby what you can do for them." The colonel sat and still looked pleasant, but he began to think that it might be as well for him that he was back at Littlebath. "Poor George! I hope they will be happy. I think they will; my greatest anxiety now is of course for their happiness; and yours is the same, doubtless. It is odd that my child and your child's child should thus come together, is it not?" so spoke the colonel. Mr. Bertram looked at him; looked through him almost, but he said nothing. "It is odd," continued Sir Lionel, "but a very happy circumstance. She is certainly the sweetest girl I ever saw; and George is a lucky fellow." "Yes, he is a lucky fellow; he will get more than he has any right to expect. First and last she will have six thousand pounds. I have not heard him say what he means to settle on her; but perhaps he was waiting till you had come home." Sir Lionel's forte during his whole official career had been the making pleasant--by the pleasantness that was innate in him--things which appeared to be going in a very unpleasant manner. But how was he to make things pleasant now? "Well, you see, George has been so much knocked about! There was his fellowship. I think they behaved shabbily enough to him." "Fellowship! One hundred and seventy pounds a year and the run of his teeth at feast time, or some such thing as that. A man can't marry on his fellowship very well!" "Ha! ha! ha! no, he can't exactly do that. On the whole, I think it was quite as well that he threw it up; and so I told him." "Did you tell him at the same time what his future income was to be?" "No, upon my soul I did not; but if all I hear be true, I believe you did. You have been exceedingly generous to him, George--and to me also."