“Stupid! No, indeed. That he should want to marry Miss Biron is no proof of stupidity. Where could he find a nicer wife? How could you expect him to sit and look contentedly at Miss Hibbs when there is such a girl as Miss Biron within ten miles?”
Hester looked more prim than ever.
“You seem very enthusiastic, Mr. Elshaw. Pray, what have you to say about Mr. Biron?”
“Well, Mr. Christian wouldn’t have to marry him.”
“That is just what he would have to do,” retorted she quickly. “Mr. Biron would take good care of that. Christian would never be able to shake him off.”
“Well,” said Bram, “he can’t shake him off now, can he? So he would be no worse off.”
“Now, seriously, Mr. Elshaw, would you like to have such a father-in-law yourself?”
Bram’s heart leapt up. But he did not tell the young lady that he only wished he had the chance. Instead of that, he answered in a particularly grave and judicial tone—
“If I had, I’d soon bring him to reason. He’s not stupid either, you see. I’d make an arrangement with him, and I’d make him keep to it. And if he didn’t keep to it——”
“And he certainly wouldn’t. What then?”