"Ya-as--just so--no doubt about that," said his lordship laughing. "But a--a I began talking to her on indifferent subjects, and, point of fact, she didn't seem to like indifferent subjects--seemed as if I bothered her, you know, and of course I didn't want to do that; so seeing, as you say, that there was no one else in the field--regular walk over the course, you know--I didn't bother her nor myself either. We're getting on very nicely, though, Sir Murray--very nicely indeed. No question about that." "I'm glad to hear it," said Sir Murray, dryly. "Ya-as; beginning to understand one another's idio--what is it?-- syncracies, don't you call it? I think Isa likes me." "Oh! yes, of course--of course!" said Sir Murray. "By the way, Maudlaine," he continued, taking the young man's arm and walking slowly with him down a path, "I hope you will be particular about the place; for I dare say I shall give it up to you young folks. I mean to be pretty stringent, though, I can assure you: I won't have a tree touched--no timber felled; there is none too much now. I should not like the lake drained either: I should particularly object to that. It might be said," continued Sir Murray, hastily, "that it made the place damp; but I don't think it--I don't think it." "Wouldn't dream of doing anything distasteful, of course," said the Viscount. "Always be glad of your advice, of course, if I had any ideas of improving anything. By the way, though, Gernon, she's mad after botany." "She? Who is?" said Sir Murray, starting. "She is--Isa, you know. I shall have to work it up, for she don't seem to like my not being able to enter into the names of weeds with her. Not a weedy man myself, you know, eh? Ha, ha, ha!" And he laughed at what he intended for a joke. "Was she botanising to-day?" said Sir Murray, huskily. "Ya-a-as! Said it was her mother's favourite pursuit, though I don't know why she should like it for that reason, eh?" "Who told her that absurd nonsense?" exclaimed Sir Murray, angrily. "Well, she did tell me," said the lover; "but, a--a--really, you know, I can't recollect. Don't particularly want to know, I suppose?" "Oh no--oh no!" exclaimed Sir Murray, impatiently. "But this place, Maudlaine--I should like it kept as it is: the timber, you know; and you would not drain the lake?" "Oh no! of course not. But, I say, you know, I--a--a--a suppose it will be all right?" "Right--all right?" said Sir Murray, whose face wore a cadaverous hue. "What do you mean by all right?" "Well, you know, I mean about Isa. I haven't said anything pointed to her yet, though we two have made it all right. She won't refuse me, eh?" "Refuse? No: absurd!" "Well, I don't know so much about that. I get thinking sometimes that she ain't so very far gone with me. Snubs me, you know,--turns huffy, and that sort of thing."