"According to that I ought to take up my abode at Harsh."
"In the measure of the convenient I shouldn't be sorry to see you do it."
"It ought to be rather convenient," Nick largely smiled. "I've got a piece of news for you which I've kept, as one keeps that sort of thing—for it's very good—till the last." He waited a little to see if Mr. Carteret would guess, and at first thought nothing would come of this. But after resting his young-looking eyes on him for a moment the old man said:
"I should indeed be very happy to hear that you've arranged to take a wife."
"Mrs. Dallow has been so good as to say she'll marry me," Nick returned.
"That's very suitable. I should think it would answer."
"It's very jolly," said Nick. It was well Mr. Carteret was not what his guest called observant, or he might have found a lower pitch in the sound of this sentence than in the sense.
"Your dear father would have liked it."
"So my mother says."
"And she must be delighted."