CHAPTER III.
WILL BELTON.
Mr.Belton came to the castle, and nothing further had been said at the cottage about his coming.

Clara had seen Mrs.Askerton in the meantime frequently, but that lady had kept her promise--almost to Clara's disappointment.

For she--though she had in truth disliked the proposition that her cousin could be coming with any special views with reference to herself had nevertheless sufficient curiosity about the stranger to wish to talk about him.

Her father, indeed, mentioned Belton's name very frequently, saying something with reference to him every time he found himself in his daughter's presence.

A dozen times he said that the man was heartless to come to the house at such a time, and he spoke of his cousin always as though the man were guilty of a gross injustice in being heir to the property.