For a moment she seemed so nervous that Mr.Juxon observed her embarrassment and supposed it was due to his remark about living in the cottage himself.
"Do not be afraid, Mrs.Goddard," he said quickly, "I am not going to do anything so uncivil as to ask you to give up the cottage.

Besides, it would be too small, you know." "Have you any family, Mr.Juxon ?" inquired Mrs.Ambrose with a severity which startled the squire.

Mrs.Ambrose thought that if there was a Mrs.
Juxon, she had been unpardonably deceived.

Of course Mr.Juxon should have said that he was married as soon as he entered the room.
"I have a very large family," answered the squire, and after enjoying for a moment the surprise he saw in Mrs.Ambrose's face, he added with a laugh, "I have a library of ten thousand volumes--a very large family indeed.

Otherwise I have no encumbrances, thank heaven." "You are a scholar ?" asked Mr.Ambrose eagerly.
"A book fancier, only a book fancier," returned the squire modestly.