journeys, at her aunt's expense. Two things only occurred to disturb her tranquillity before she went, and they were not of much violence. Mr. Wright, the clergyman, called at Belton Castle, and in the course of conversation with Mr. Amedroz renewed one of those ill-natured rumours which had before been spread about Mrs. Askerton. Clara did not see him, but she heard an account of it all from her father. "Does it mean, papa," she said, speaking almost with anger, "that you want me to give up Mrs. Askerton?" "How can you be so unkind as to ask me such a question?" he replied. "You know how I hate to be bothered. I tell you what I hear, and then you can decide for yourself." "But that isn't quite fair either, papa. That man comes here—" here—" "That man, as you call him, is the rector of the parish, and I've known him for forty years." "And have never liked him, papa." "I don't know much about liking anybody, my dear. Nobody likes me, and so why should I trouble myself?" "But, papa, it all amounts to this—that somebody has said that the Askertons are not Askertons at all, but ought to be called something else. Now we know that he served as Captain and Major Askerton for seven years in India—and in fact it all means nothing. If I know anything, I know that he is Colonel Askerton." "But do you know that she is his wife? That is what Mr. Wright asks. I don't say anything. I think it's very indelicate talking about such things." "If I am asked whether I have seen her marriage certificate, certainly I have not; nor probably did you ever do so as to any lady that you ever knew. But I know that she is her husband's wife, as we all of us know things of that sort. I know she was in India with him. I've seen things of hers marked with her name that she has had at least for ten years." "I don't know anything about it, my dear," said Mr. Amedroz, angrily. "But Mr. Wright ought to know something about it before he says such things. And then this that he's saying now isn't the same that he said before."
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