Grace was fond of Harold, as she thought any one might be of so kind an uncle, whose medical skill had many times relieved suffering for her, and who had always shown kindly sympathy in her ailments. She wanted to make a suitable return for it all, so endeavored to amuse him with cheerful chat, music, and reading aloud anything that he seemed to care to hear.
He fell more deeply in love with her day by day, and often found it difficult to refrain from telling the tale to her, and pleading for a return. His mother saw it all, and at length advised him to speak to Grace's father, tell him the whole story, and crave permission to do and say what he could to win her heart.
"I have thought it might be best to wait some years, mother," he said. "I fear he will be astonished, indignant, and deprive me of her sweet society."
"Astonished he probably will be," she said, "but surely not indignant; and when he has fully considered the matter, remembering that there is no tie of blood between you, I think he will not withhold his consent, provided you are willing to defer marriage till she is of suitable age."
"I hope you are right, mother, but such a mixture of relationships as it would make—I fear he will think that an insurmountable difficulty."
"But to rob his dearly loved daughter of a life of wedded happiness he will think still worse, if I am not greatly mistaken in him. And as for the mixture of relationships, you can still be brother to him and your sister Violet, and Grace remain his daughter."
"You are the best of comforters and advisers, mother," he said, "and I will take your advice, and make a clean breast of it to the captain at the earliest opportunity."
He did so before the day was over. Seeing the captain in the grounds, he joined him with a request for a bit of private chat.
"Certainly," said the captain, leading the way to the summerhouse on the edge of the cliff. "If you want assistance in any way that I can give it, I need hardly tell you that it will be a pleasure to me to do so; especially as you are the brother of my dear wife."
"Thank you, Brother Levis, I do not doubt that in the least; and yet——" He stammered and paused, coloring deeply.