He possessed not a little of the persuasive genius which goes to make an orator--hereafter to serve him in fields as yet undreamed of--and natural endowment guided his feeling in the way of most impressive utterance.

Mr.Athel smiled in spite of himself.
'And what about your aunt ?' he asked.

'Pray remember that it is only by chance that Miss Hood lives under my roof.

Do you imagine your aunt equally unprejudiced ?' Mr.Athel was, characteristically, rather fond of side-glancings at feminine weaknesses.

An opportunity of the kind was wont to mellow his mood.
'To be quite open in the matter,' Wilfrid replied, 'I will own that my first idea was to take you alone into my confidence; to ask you to say nothing to Aunt Edith.