"Did I ever make you any promise, or give you any hint that I intended to provide for my niece?
Have I ever held out to you any such hope?
I don't know what you mean by that word 'at last'-- unless it be to give offence." "I meant the truth, sir;--I meant this--that seeing the manner in which your nieces lived with you, I thought it probable that you would treat them both as though they were your daughters.

Now I find out my mistake;--that is all!" "You have been mistaken,--and without a shadow of excuse for your mistake." "Others have been mistaken with me," said Crosbie, forgetting, on the spur of the moment, that he had no right to drag the opinion of any other person into the question.
"What others ?" said the squire, with anger; and his mind immediately betook itself to his sister-in-law.
"I do not want to make any mischief," said Crosbie.
"If anybody connected with my family has presumed to tell you that I intended to do more for my niece Lilian than I have already done, such person has not only been false, but ungrateful.

I have given to no one any authority to make any promise on behalf of my niece." "No such promise has been made.

It was only a suggestion," said Crosbie.
He was not in the least aware to whom the squire was alluding in his anger; but he perceived that his host was angry, and having already reflected that he should not have alluded to the words which Bernard Dale had spoken in his friendship, he resolved to name no one.
Bernard, as he sat by listening, knew exactly how the matter stood; but, as he thought, there could be no reason why he should subject himself to his uncle's ill-will, seeing that he had committed no sin.
"No such suggestion should have been made," said the squire.

"No one has had a right to make such a suggestion.