Anthony Trollope: The Belton Estate

15. CHAPTER XV: EVIL WORDS (continued)

'Dear papa don't speak of it in that way. I thought you would be glad to know that I was to be so so so happy!'

'But why is it to be done this way of a sudden? Why didn't he come to me? Will came to me the very first thing.'

'He couldn't come all the way to Belton very well particularly as he does not know you.'

'Will came here.'

'Oh, papa, don't make difficulties. Of course that was different. He was here when he first thought of it. And even then he didn't think very much about it.'

'He did all that he could, I suppose?'

'Well yes. I don't know how that might be.' And Clara almost laughed as she felt the difficulties into which she was creeping. 'Dear Will. He is much better as a cousin than as a husband.'

'I don't see that at all. Captain Aylmer will not have the Belton estate or Plaistow Hall.'

'Surely he is well enough off to take care of a wife. He will have the whole of the Perivale estate, you know.'

'I don't know anything about it. According to my ideas of what is proper he should have spoken to me first. If he could not come he might have written. No doubt my ideas may be old-fashioned, and I'm told that Captain Aylmer is a fashionable young man.'

'Indeed he is not, papa. He is a hard-working Member of Parliament.'