cheerful, sweet-tempered; with good sense enough to understand what her place is in the world, as distinguished from her place in my regard.  I have taken care, for her own sake, never to leave that part of the question in any doubt.  It would be cruel kindness to deceive her as to her future position when she marries.  I shall take good care that the man who pays his addresses to her is a man in her rank of life.  I know but too well, in the case of one of my own relatives, what miseries unequal marriages bring with them.  Excuse me for troubling you at this length on domestic matters.  I am very fond of Isabel; and a girl’s head is so easily turned.  Now you know what her position really is, you will also know what limits there must be to the expression of your interest in her.  I am sure we understand each other; and I say no more.”

Hardyman listened to this long harangue with the immovable gravity which was part of his character—­except when Isabel had taken him by surprise.  When her Ladyship gave him the opportunity of speaking on his side, he had very little to say, and that little did not suggest that he had greatly profited by what he had heard.  His mind had been full of Isabel when Lady Lydiard began, and it remained just as full of her, in just the same way, when Lady Lydiard had done.

“Yes,” he remarked quietly, “Miss Isabel is an uncommonly nice girl, as you say.  Very pretty, and such frank, unaffected manners.  I don’t deny that I feel an interest in her.  The young ladies one meets in society are not much to my taste.  Miss Isabel is my taste.”

Lady Lydiard’s face assumed a look of blank dismay.  “I am afraid I have failed to convey my exact meaning to you,” she said.

Hardyman gravely declared that he understood her perfectly.  “Perfectly!” he repeated, with his impenetrable obstinacy.  “Your Ladyship exactly expresses my opinion of Miss Isabel.  Prudent, and cheerful, and sweet-tempered, as you say—­all the qualities in a woman that I admire.  With good looks, too—­of course, with good looks.  She will be a perfect treasure (as you remarked just now) to the man who marries her.  I may claim to know something about it.  I have twice narrowly escaped being married myself; and, though I can’t exactly explain it, I’m all the harder to please in consequence.  Miss Isabel pleases me.  I think I have said that before?  Pardon me for saying it again.  I’ll call again to-morrow morning and look at the dog as early as eleven o’clock, if you will allow me.  Later in the day I must be off to France to attend a sale of horses.  Glad to have been of any use to your Ladyship, I am sure.  Good-morning.”

Lady Lydiard let him go, wisely resigning any further attempt to establish an understanding between her visitor and herself.