Margaret Maliphant

								

Father looked annoyed. "I wasn't joking, I wasn't joking," said he.
"If men want to go in for great work, they can't afford to take it
lightly." And then he added with one of his quick looks, "But don't
misunderstand me, Hoad. Enthusiasm of the right kind never takes things
lightly. It's the only sort of stuff that wins great battles, because
it has plenty of courage and don't know the meaning of failure. Only
there's such lots of stuff that's called enthusiasm and is nothing but
gas. I should like to see this young man and judge for myself. God
forbid I should think youth a stumbling-block. Youth is the time for
doing as well as for dreaming."
Father sighed, and though I could not tell why at the time, I can guess
now that it was from the recollection of that friend of his who must
have been the type of youthful enthusiasm thus to have left his memory
and the strength of his convictions so many years in the heart of
another.
"Well, you can see him easily enough," said Mr. Hoad. "He's staying in
your village, I believe. He's a nephew of Squire Broderick's."
"What! Captain Forrester?" cried I.
"Ah, you know him of course, Miss Maliphant. Trust the young ladies for
finding out the handsome men," said Mr. Hoad, turning to me with his
most irritating expression of gallantry. I bit my lips with annoyance
at having opened my mouth to the man, especially as he glanced across
at Joyce with a horribly knowing look, at which of course she blushed,
making me very angry.
"I fancy the squire and he don't get on so extra well together," said
Mr. Hoad. "Squire don't like the look of the lad that'll step into his
shoes, if he don't make haste and marry and have a son of his own, I
suppose."
"I should think this smart captain had best not reckon too much on the
property," said mother, stiffly, up in arms at once for her favorite.
"The squire's young enough yet to marry and have a dozen sons."
"Yes, yes, ma'am, only joking, only joking," declared Mr. Hoad. "I
shouldn't think the lad gave the property a thought."
"If he's the kind of man you say, he can't possibly care about
property," said I, glibly, talking of what I could not understand.
Father smiled, but smiled kindly, at me. Mr. Hoad laughed outright and
made me furious.
"I see you're up in all the party phrases, young lady," said he.
"How did you come to know the young man, Hoad?" asked father, without
giving me time to reply. "You seem to have become friends in a very
short time."
"He came to me on a matter of business," repeated Hoad, evasively. "I
fancy he's pretty hard up. Only got his captain's pay and a little
private property, on his father's side, I suppose, and no doubt gives
more than he can spare to these societies and things."
Father was silent. Probably he knew, what I had no notion of, that
there was another branch to Mr. Hoad's profession besides that of a
solicitor. Evidently he did not like to be reminded of the fact, for he