"
"Ay, ay; you want to coax me into thinking him a fine match."
"No, indeed, father. I don't love him because he is a fine match."
"What for, then?"
"Oh, dear, because I have always loved him. I should never like
scolding any one else so well; and that is a point to be thought
of in a husband."
"Your mind is quite settled, then, Mary?" said Caleb, returning to
his first tone. "There's no other wish come into it since things
have been going on as they have been of late?" (Caleb meant a great
deal in that vague phrase;) "because, better late than never.
A woman must not force her heart--she'll do a man no good by that."
"My feelings have not changed, father," said Mary, calmly.
"I shall be constant to Fred as long as he is constant to me.
I don't think either of us could spare the other, or like any one
else better, however much we might admire them. It would make too
great a difference to us--like seeing all the old places altered,
and changing the name for everything. We must wait for each other
a long while; but Fred knows that."
Instead of speaking immediately, Caleb stood still and screwed his
stick on the grassy walk. Then he said, with emotion in his voice,
"Well, I've got a bit of news. What do you think of Fred going
to live at Stone Court, and managing the land there?"
"How can that ever be, father?" said Mary, wonderingly.
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