Ralph knew what to think of his father's impatience; but, making no rejoinder, he offered his mother his arm.

This put it in his power, as they descended together, to stop her a moment on the middle landing of the staircase--the broad, low, wide-armed staircase of time-blackened oak which was one of the most striking features of Gardencourt.

"You've no plan of marrying her ?" he smiled.
"Marrying her?
I should be sorry to play her such a trick! But apart from that, she's perfectly able to marry herself.

She has every facility." "Do you mean to say she has a husband picked out ?" "I don't know about a husband, but there's a young man in Boston--!" Ralph went on; he had no desire to hear about the young man in Boston.
"As my father says, they're always engaged!" His mother had told him that he must satisfy his curiosity at the source, and it soon became evident he should not want for occasion.

He had a good deal of talk with his young kinswoman when the two had been left together in the drawing-room.