'Oppose you!' said Hazel. 'With such an object in view!'—But then the mocking tone changed, and she said sorrowfully—'I beg your pardon, Mr. Falkirk!—But you are vexed, sir, and then you always vex me. And—I was not just ready for this to-night.' 'You need not be vexed that I want to take care of you,' Mr. Falkirk returned. 'No, sir. There are great many things I need not be,' said Hazel. 'I will try to do it. I may not succeed. Good-night.' She put her hands on his arm again, following his lead now towards the door. But on the way another thought struck her. 'Mr. Falkirk,' she said suddenly, 'if you try to do something which you know I would not like—or in a way I should not like,—you must remember that I will never say yes to it. Not if there were fifty quicksands in the way!' 'Miss Hazel,' returned her guardian, 'I have not so long held my office without finding out that it is impossible to tell beforehand what you would like, or in what way you would like it. I must work in the dark; unless you prefer to give me illumination.' 'I should like,' said Hazel bravely, 'what Mr. Rollo would have a right to like. I suppose Mr. Falkirk will know what that is.' 'Pardon me. My only concern is with what _you_ would have a right to like.' 'Very well,' she answered,—'if you choose to put it so. But I could have no right to like anything which should seem like a reflection,—anything that could cast the least possible shade of dishonour.—Further than that, I do not see how it matters.' 'Does it matter to you whether you are your own mistress or not?' said Mr. Falkirk, confronting her now with the question. 'I suppose that is past praying for,' said Hazel with a deep blush. 'But I never have been, yet.' 'You have in money matters.' 'About my own silks and sugarplums. No further, sir.' 'Do you wish it to be "no further" always?' 'I like my own way better than anything in the world,' said Hazel, 'except'—and she paused, and the crimson mounted again,— 'except the honour and dignity and standing of the people I love. You know better than I, Mr. Falkirk, whether both things can be cared for together; but if one has to go down, it must be my will.' 'If it can be done consistently with other people's "dignity and standing," you would like to have control of your own property?' 'It cannot be so done.' 'It can be so done—if I and Dr. Maryland do it.' 'No,' said Hazel, 'there is too much of it.' 'Will you please explain?' 'Too much money,—too much land,—the property is too large.' 'Too large to be divided, that is.' Hazel turned off with a gesture of distressful impatience—then faced her guardian again. 'Don't you see, Mr. Falkirk?' she said,—'do you need to be told? Mr. Rollo could not possibly be only my agent.' 'I do not see that he need. You are competent surely to spend your own money, in the way you like best.'