The squire also had thought of what had passed between them, and had suffered much as he had done so; but he had thought of it without acerbity or anger. His thoughts were ever gentler than his words, and his heart softer than any exponent of his heart that he was able to put forth. He wished to love his brother's children, and to be loved by them; but even failing that, he wished to do good to them. It had not occurred to him to be angry with Mrs. Dale after that interview was over. The conversation had not gone pleasantly with him; but then he hardly expected that things would go pleasantly. No idea had occurred to him that evil could come upon any of the Dale ladies from the words which had then been spoken. He regarded the Small House as their abode and home as surely as the Great House was his own. In giving him his due, it must be declared that any allusion to their holding these as a benefit done to them by him had been very far from his thoughts. Mrs. Hearn, who held her cottage at half its real value, grumbled almost daily at him as her landlord; but it never occurred to him that therefore he should raise her rent, or that in not doing so he was acting with special munificence. It had ever been to him a grumbling, cross-grained, unpleasant world; and he did not expect from Mrs. Hearn, or from his sister-in-law, anything better than that to which he had ever been used. "It will make me very happy," said he, "if it has any bearing on Bell's marriage with her cousin." "Mr. Dale, that is out of the question. I would not vex you by saying so if I were not certain of it; but I know my child so well!" "Then we must leave it to time, Mary." "Yes, of course; but no time will suffice to make Bell change her mind. We will, however, leave the subject. And now, Mr. Dale, I have to tell you of something else;--we have resolved to leave the Small House." "Resolved on what?" said the squire, turning his eyes full upon her. "We have resolved to leave the Small House." "Leave the Small House!" he said, repeating her words; "and where on earth do you mean to go?" "We think we shall go into Guestwick." "And why?" "Ah, that is so hard to explain. If you would only accept the fact as I tell it to you, and not ask for the reasons which have guided me!" "But that is out of the question, Mary. In such a matter as that I must ask your reasons; and I must tell you also that, in my opinion, you will not be doing your duty to your daughters in carrying out such an intention, unless your reasons are very strong indeed." "But they are very strong," said Mrs. Dale; and then she paused. "I cannot understand it," said the squire. "I cannot bring myself to believe that you are really in earnest. Are you not comfortable there?" "More comfortable than we have any right to be with our means." "But I thought you always did very nicely with your money. You never get into debt."