"All the better for our married life," said the girl, gaily, "think how anxious I shall be to please my fireside tyrant." "I am afraid you will be the tyrant, dearest. See how unable I am to make you do what I want." "Because it would not be right, Anthony. I wish to settle all things connected with the past before I begin a new life with you." "I fancied--according to your own way of putting it--that the new epoch had begun," joked Ackworth. "It has, and it has not. My new epoch begins with my marriage to you, darling, and the old epoch ended with Uncle Henry's death. This is a kind of interregnum--" "Which will end--?" "When Ferdy is married." "And when will that be?" "As soon as I can arrange. Anthony, what is the use of talking more about the matter? I have told you how necessary it is, that Ferdy should have someone to guide him. While he is unmarried I must be his guide, but when Prudence becomes his wife, I have every hope that she will be able to keep him in order." "Well, then, I wish you would marry the young scamp as soon as you can," said Ackworth, rather wounded. "It seems to me, Clarice, that you love him more than you do me." "My dearest, the weakest always require the most love. You are strong, Anthony; you can walk alone. But poor weak Ferdy--" "Selfish, greedy Ferdy," contradicted Ackworth. "I should like to give him a good thrashing." "Well," said Clarice, musingly; "I don't think that would hurt him." "It would," said Ackworth, grimly, "if I administered it." "What nonsense! Don't frown"--she smoothed away a wrinkle or two on his forehead, and then kissed him as he was about to speak. "I do not wish to argue any more, my dear, obstinate, darling sweetheart. I may as well tell you that the Clarkes return to-morrow, as I heard this morning. I'll see them in the afternoon, and arrange as soon as possible about Ferdy's marriage. Then--and not till then--we,----" "All right," interrupted Anthony, and stole a kiss in his turn, "but will Ferdy give up that dancing girl?" "Why, I told you that he had done so. Zara went away immediately after the funeral, and her mother accompanied her to stop in Town for a week or so. Ferdy has forgotten all about Zara by this time. It is just as well," sighed Clarice, "as I had to pay those awful bills. Two thousand pounds, Anthony. Think of it." "Oh, I always knew that Ferdy could get through no end of cash," said Ackworth, coolly, "especially when Butterfly had him in tow. But now that he has escaped her, I dare say he'll marry Miss Clarke." "He is willing enough to do so," said Clarice, "and I think that he really loves her, as much as his weak nature will allow him to love anyone but himself. The opposition--so I gathered from Ferdy--is on the part of Mr. Clarke." "But why, seeing that Mr. Clarke is in your debt, and should be glad that his daughter should make a rich marriage?"