Part 30 (1/2)

”Well!” said Hugh, drawing still near as she receded. ”'Except, perhaps,' whom?”

”I except no one that ever I saw, for there is no one that ever I saw who, in all things--in mind, body, and estate, as you say--I would think fit for Miss Dawson. But what I was going to say was--except, perhaps-- George--only he is her brother, ye ken.”

”George!” echoed, many voices.

”And what's George more than another?” asked Jack scornfully. ”She'll be saying next, that there's naebody like _him_ in all Scotland.”

And then Marion, glancing up at the window beneath which they had been sitting, met the wondering look of Mr Dawson.

”He must have heard every word,” said Grace in a whisper.

Marion turned and fled to seek comfort with Miss Jean.

They went away to the Castle, and Miss Dawson went with them; Captain Harefield came to the house soon after they set out, but he did not follow them, though Mr Dawson suggested that he might easily overtake them before they reached the place. It was Mr Dawson himself he had come to see; and when they all came back, and the young folk had had their tea and were gone home together in the moonlight, her father had something to say to Jean.

”It's a comfort that you can just leave it to Jean herself,” said his sister, when he told his news to her. Of what her own opinion might be she said nothing, nor was she curious to hear what Mr Dawson might think now about the chance that his daughter had of becoming the wife of Captain Harefield. ”It is a thing that she must decide for herself; and indeed she will let no one else decide it.”

There was a measure of comfort in that view of the matter. For though Mr Dawson was ambitious for his daughter, Captain Harefield as a man with expectations was by no means so interesting to him personally as he had been last year when he had none. He knew by Jean's face at the first word spoken, that her aunt was right.

”I gave him his answer last year,” said she.

”But it's no' an unheard of thing that a woman should change her mind,”

said her father dryly.

”I have had no reason to change my mind, but many reasons against it.

Fancy my leaving you and George and the happy life we are just beginning, to go away with a stranger to folk that would look down on me, and think he had thrown himself away?”

”I could make it worth their while to think otherwise.” But Jean shook her head. ”Last year you might, when he had nothing.”

”As for his friends--ye need ha'e little to do with them. I dare say none o' them can ha'e a higher sense o' their ain importance than his sister, Mrs Eastwood, and I think ye could hold your own with her.”

”If it were worth my while. But, papa--he is nothing in the world to me.”

”He is not a clever man, I ken that. But I like him. He is sweet tempered, and he is a gentleman, and he cares for you. And I think, with you to stand by him, he might be a good man and a useful.”

”But, papa--the weariness of it, even if I cared for him.”

”But that might come in time.”

”No, papa. I am not--going with him. He will find some one who will care for him, and who will fill the high position that he can give her better than I could do.”

In his heart the father did not believe that, but he only said,--

”Very likely. You must please yourself I only wish you to ken your ain mind, and understand what you are refusing. He will be Sir Percy Harefield, and there may come a time when you will regret your refusal.”

”I don't think it, papa.”

”As for not wis.h.i.+ng to leave your brother and me--George will marry sometime, and then you will be but second with him, though he may be first with you.”

”Of course he will marry, papa. And I will be 'Auntie Jean' to his bairns. And I'll ay have you, papa.”