And he paid evident attention to all that Caldigate said about his own pecuniary affairs,--going so far as to say that he was not in a condition to declare whether he would give his daughter any fortune at all on her marriage.
'It is quite unnecessary,' said Caldigate.
'She will probably have something at my death,' rejoined the old man.
'And when may I see her ?' asked Caldigate.
In answer to that Mr.Bolton would not at first make any suggestion whatsoever,--falling back upon his old fears, and declaring that there could be no such meetings at all, but at last allowing that the lover should discuss the matter with his son Robert.
'Perhaps I may have been mistaken about the young man Caldigate,' the banker said to his wife that night.
'Oh, Nicholas!' 'I only say that perhaps I may have been mistaken.' 'You are not thinking of Hester ?' 'I said nothing about Hester then;--but perhaps I may have been mistaken in my opinion about that young man John Caldigate.' John Caldigate, as he rode home after his interview at the bank, almost felt that he had cleared away many difficulties, and that, by his perseverance, he might probably be enabled to carry out the dream of his earlier youth..