The old lady had not been open and candid to him whom she meant to favour in her will, as she had been to her to whom no such favour was to be shown.

But Captain Aylmer did know, with tolerable accuracy, what was the state of affairs at Belton, and was aware that Miss Amedroz had no prospect of maintenance on which to depend, unless she could depend on her aunt.

She was now pleading that she was not dependent on that lady, and Captain Aylmer felt that she was wrong.

He was a man of the world, and was by no means inclined to abandon any right that was his own; but it seemed to him that he was almost bound to say some word to show that in his opinion Clara should hold herself bound to comply with her aunt's requirements.
"Dependence is a disagreeable word," he said; "and one never quite knows what it means." "If you were a woman you'd know.

It means that I must stay at Perivale on Sundays, while you can go up to London or down to Yorkshire.