'He should not have noticed him,' said Mrs. Atheling.
'Ah, but he did! He said, "Mr. O'Connell, I will trouble you to speak of Squire Atheling respectfully. He is not old; he is in the prime of life; and, in all that makes youth desirable, he is twenty-five years younger than you are. I think you have felt his spurs once, and I would advise you to beware of them." And what O'Connell answered I cannot tell, but it would be up to mark, I can warrant that! I slipped away before I was noticed, and I am not ashamed to say I was pleased with what I had heard. "Not as old as O'Connell by twenty-five years!" I laughed to myself all the way home; and, in the dark of the night, I could not help thinking of Edgar's angry face, and the way he stood up for me. I do think, Maude, that somehow it must have been thy fault we had that quarrel--I mean to say, that if thou hadst stood firm by me,--that is, if thou hadst--'
'John, go on and do not bother thyself to make excuses. Was that the end of it?'
'In a way. The next afternoon I was sitting by the fireside having a quiet smoke, and thinking of the fine speech I had made, and if it would be safe to try again, when Dobson came in and said, "Squire, Mr. Edgar wishes to see you," and I said, "Very well, bring Mr. Edgar upstairs." I had thrown off my coat; but I had on one of my fine ruffled shirts and my best blue waistcoat, and so I didn't feel so very out of the way when Edgar came in with the loveliest young woman on his arm--except Kitty--that I ever set eyes on; and I was dumfounded when he brought her to me and said, "My dear Father, Annie Curzon, who has promised to be my wife, wants to know you and to love you." And the little thing--for she is but a sprite of a woman--laid her hand on my arm and looked at me; and what in heaven's name was I to do?'
'I just lifted her up and kissed her bonny face, and said I had room enough in my heart and home for her; and that she was gladly welcome, and would be much made of, and I don't know what else--plenty of things of the same sort. My word! Edgar was set up.'
'He may well be set up,' answered Mrs. Atheling; 'she is the richest and sweetest girl in England; and she thinks the sun rises and sets in Edgar Atheling. He ought to be set up with a wife like that.'