Robert Bolton Caldigate felt at the moment that he had been very abrupt,--so abrupt as to have caused infinite dismay.

But then it had been necessary that he should be abrupt in order that he might get the matter understood.

The ordinary approaches were not open to him, and unless he had taken a more than usually rapid advantage of the occasion which he had made for himself, he would have had to leave the house without having been able to give any of its inmates the least idea of his purpose.

And then,--as he said to himself,--matrimony is honest.

He was in all worldly respects a fit match for the young lady.