‘Oh, they are all off, are they?’ she said, raising her head, and collecting her faculties again. ‘That gives me just the opportunity I wish for. Do you know what you are doing, Stephen?’ ‘Doing? As how?’ ‘In harbouring that young Wellfield in your house?’ ‘I invited him to stay a few days, if that’s what you call “harbouring,” cousin.’ ‘Pooh! You know what I mean. Had you no thought for the probable consequences when you committed that rash act?’ ‘What do you mean by the probable consequences? At present they seem to me to consist in my having become better acquainted with Mr. Wellfield, and feeling considerable respect for him.’ ‘Respect! respect for a Wellfield! I am astonished at you. _You_ have become better acquainted with him; but not so well acquainted with him as your daughter.’ ‘My daughter—you mean that Nita admires him—or that he is likely to fall in love with her?’ A fine sneer played about Miss Shuttleworth’s lips. ‘He is very likely to fall in love with Nita’s money. As for herself, no Wellfield ever cared for any person but his own.’ ‘You are prejudiced, cousin, as we all know.’ ‘Will you deny that when two people are thrown together as Nita and that young man are likely to be, it is probable that nothing will come of it on either side?’ ‘It is not probable,’ he returned, quietly. ‘Do you mean to say that you will allow Nita to fall in love with him, and do nothing to prevent it?’ ‘It is a matter I do not choose to discuss. There are other probabilities on the cards besides the probability of Nita’s falling in love with him.’ ‘If that’s your way of looking at it, I’ve done,’ replied Miss Margaret, mightily offended, and prancing onwards with her head higher than ever. ‘Indeed, I think I will go into the house.’ ‘As you please,’ he returned. ‘I am going to stroll about here for a short time.’ Miss Shuttleworth stalked onwards in dudgeon. Mr. Bolton was left pacing by the river walk. ‘It is an odd complication,’ he was reflecting, ‘and it would be an odd result if I should have toiled all these years to place my child and this place into the hands of one of the old stock once more. But it must be as will make the child most happy. As for him, he may make an admirable gentleman of property and an excellent husband, but he will never make money. He may learn sufficient of business habits to be able to keep it together when it is there, but the business he conducted would soon stand still. Still, if he is honest, and honourable, and a gentleman in thought and feeling, as he appears to be, and the man who will make my little girl happy—which I begin to think is the case—there seems a sort of appropriateness in his being a Wellfield. It was through no sin of his that he lost the place, and from all I can hear he has been perfectly well-conducted. At least, I can see no reason for forcibly separating them, and why should not my daughter marry a high-born gentleman? She is worthy the best in the land.’