among them, and at the end of the first month had already been accepted as Lily's future husband.
It was beautiful to see how Bell changed in her mood towards Crosbie and towards her sister as soon as she perceived how the affair was going. She was not long in perceiving it, having caught the first glimpses of the idea on that evening when they both dined at the Great House, leaving their mother alone to eat or to neglect the peas. For some six or seven weeks Crosbie had been gone, and during that time Bell had been much more open in speaking of him than her sister. She had been present when Crosbie had bid them good-bye, and had listened to his eagerness as he declared to Lily that he should soon be back again at Allington. Lily had taken this very quietly, as though it had not belonged at all to herself; but Bell had seen something of the truth, and, believing in Crosbie as an earnest, honest man, had spoken kind words of him, fostering any little aptitude for love which might already have formed itself in Lily's bosom.
'But he is such an Apollo, you know,' Lily had said.
'He is a gentleman; I can see that.'
'Oh, yes; a man can't be an Apollo unless he's a gentleman.'
'And he's very clever.'
'I suppose he is clever.' There was nothing more said about his being a mere clerk. Indeed, Lily had changed her mind on that subject. Johnny Eames was a mere clerk; whereas Crosbie, if he was to be called a clerk at all, was a clerk of some very special denomination. There may be a great difference between one clerk and another! A Clerk of the Council and a parish clerk are very different persons. Lily had got some such idea as this into her head as she attempted in her own mind to rescue Mr Crosbie from the lower orders of the Government service.
'I wish he were not coming,' Mrs Dale had said to her eldest daughter.
'I think you are wrong, mamma.'
'But if she should become fond of him, and then—'
'Lily will never become really fond of any man till he shall have given her proper reason. And if he admires her, why should they not come together?'
'But she is so young, Bell.'
'She is nineteen; and if they were engaged, perhaps, they might wait for a year or so. But it's no good talking in that way, mamma. If you were to tell Lily not to give him encouragement, she would not speak to him.'
'I should not think of interfering.'
'No, mamma; and therefore it must take its course. For myself, I like Mr Crosbie very much.'
'So do I, my dear.'
'And so does my uncle. I wouldn't have Lily take a lover of my uncle's choosing.'
'I should hope not.'
'But it must be considered a good thing if she happens to choose one of his liking.'
In this way the matter had been talked over between the mother and her elder daughter. Then Mr Crosbie had come; and before the end of the first month his declared admiration for Lily had proved the correctness of her sister's foresight. And during that short courtship all had gone well with the lovers. The squire from the first had declared himself satisfied with the match, informing Mrs Dale, in his cold manner, that Mr Crosbie was a gentleman with an income sufficient for matrimony.
'It would be close enough in London,' Mrs Dale had said.
'He has more than my brother had when he married,' said the squire.
'If he will only make her as happy as your brother made me,—while it lasted!' said Mrs Dale, as she turned away her face to conceal a tear that was coming. And then there was nothing more said about it between the squire and his sister-in-law. The squire spoke no word as to assistance in money matters,—did not even suggest that he would lend a hand to the young people at starting, as an uncle in such a position might surely have done. It may well be conceived that Mrs Dale herself said nothing on the subject. And, indeed, it may be conceived, also, that the squire, let his intentions be what they might, would not divulge them to Mrs Dale. This was uncomfortable, but the position was one that was well understood between them.
Bernard Dale was still at Allington, and had remained there through the period of Crosbie's absence. Whatever words Mrs Dale might choose to speak on the matter would probably be spoken to him; but, then, Bernard could be quite as close as his uncle. When Crosbie returned,
