Mr. Lind was thinking of other things; but when he came to understand what these innuendoes meant, he was neither angry nor impatient.  He had much toleration for human weakness, and he took it that Beratinsky was only a little off his head with jealousy.  He was aware that it had been Beratinsky’s ambition to become his son-in-law:  a project that swiftly came to an end through the perfect unanimity of father and daughter on that point.

“You are a fool, Beratinsky,” he said, as he tied the bundle of letters together.  “At your time of life you should not imagine that every one’s head is full of philandering nonsense.  Mr. Brand has something else to think of; besides, he has been in the midland counties all this time.”

“Has he?  Who, then, was taking your daughter to dinner-parties, to theatres—­I don’t know what?”

Lind dealt gently with this madness.

“Who told you?”

“I have eyes and ears.”

“Put them to a better use, Beratinsky.”

Then he left, and the hansom carried him along to Curzon Street.  Natalie herself flew to the door when she heard the cab drive up:  there she was to receive him, smiling a welcome, and so like her mother that he was almost startled.  She caught his face in her two hands and kissed him.

“Ah, why did you not let me come to meet you at Liverpool?”

“There were too many with me, Natalie.  I was busy.  Now get Anneli to open my portmanteau, and you can find out for yourself all the things I have brought for you.”

“I do not care for them, papa; I like to have you yourself back.”

“I suppose you were rather dull, Natalushka, being all by yourself?”

“Sometimes.  But I will tell you all that has happened when you are having breakfast.”

“I have had breakfast, child.  Now I shall get through my letters, and you can tell me all that has happened afterward.”

This was equivalent to a dismissal; so Natalie went up-stairs, leaving her father to go into the small study, where lay another bundle of letters for him.

Almost the first that he opened was from George Brand; and to his amazement he found, not details about progress in the North, but a simple, straightforward, respectful demand to be permitted to claim the hand of Natalie in marriage.  He did not conceal the fact that this proposal had already been made to Natalie herself; he ventured to hope that it was not distasteful to her; he would also hope that her father had no objections to urge.  It was surely better that the future of a young girl in her position should be provided for.  As regarded by himself, Mr. Lind’s acquaintance with him was no doubt but recent and comparatively slight; but if he wished any further and natural inquiry into the character of the man to whom he was asked to intrust his daughter, Lord Evelyn might be consulted as his closest friend.  And a speedy answer was requested.