Surely he must know as well as she did that there were many reasons for wishing Chris to grow more steady. A little prim suggestion of this feeling was noticeable in her tone.
“I don’t think he would settle down, if so he was to marry a girl he didn’t care for,” said Bram bluntly. “And I should have thought you would agree with me, understanding Mr. Christian as you do, Miss Hester.”
Miss Cornthwaite drew her lips rather primly together.
“He does care for her, of course,” said she rather tartly, “else why should he marry her?”
Bram smiled, and gave her a glance of something like scorn.
“There are a good many reasons why he should marry to please Mr. Cornthwaite, your father, when he can’t marry to please himself.”
“Why can’t he? Who does he want to marry?” asked Miss Cornthwaite quickly.
“Why, Miss Biron, Miss Claire Biron, of Duke’s Farm,” replied honest Bram promptly.
Hester’s thin and rather wizened face flushed. She frowned; she looked annoyed. “Dear me! I never heard anything about it,” she said testily. “And I can hardly think he would wish to do anything so very unwise. Christian isn’t stupid, though he’s rather volatile.”