"Ay, ay; he's twice as much a son to me as Osborne, who has been all
his life set up on nothing at all, as one may say."
"Come, Squire, I mustn't hear anything against Osborne; we may praise
one, without hitting at the other. Osborne hasn't had the strong
health which has enabled Roger to work as he has done. I met a man
who knew his tutor at Trinity the other day, and of course we began
cracking about Roger--it's not every day that one can reckon a senior
wrangler amongst one's friends, and I'm nearly as proud of the lad
as you are. This Mr. Mason told me the tutor said that only half of
Roger's success was owing to his mental powers; the other half was
owing to his perfect health, which enabled him to work harder and
more continuously than most men without suffering. He said that in
all his experience he had never known any one with an equal capacity
for mental labour; and that he could come again with a fresh appetite
to his studies after shorter intervals of rest than most. Now I,
being a doctor, trace a good deal of his superiority to the material
cause of a thoroughly good constitution, which Osborne hasn't got."
"Osborne might have, if he got out o' doors more," said the Squire,
moodily; "but except when he can loaf into Hollingford he doesn't
care to go out at all. I hope," he continued, with a glance of sudden
suspicion at Mr. Gibson, "he's not after one of your girls? I don't
mean any offence, you know; but he'll have the estate, and it won't
be free, and he must marry money. I don't think I could allow it in
Roger; but Osborne's the eldest son, you know."
Mr. Gibson reddened; he was offended for a moment. Then the partial
truth of what the Squire said was presented to his mind, and he
remembered their old friendship, so he spoke quietly, if shortly.
"I don't believe there's anything of the kind going on. I'm not much
at home, you know; but I've never heard or seen anything that should
make me suppose that there is. When I do, I'll let you know."
"Now, Gibson, don't go and be offended. I'm glad for the boys to have
a pleasant house to go to, and I thank you and Mrs. Gibson for making
it pleasant. Only keep off love; it can come to no good. That's
all. I don't believe Osborne will ever earn a farthing to keep a
wife during my life, and if I were to die to-morrow, she would have
to bring some money to clear the estate. And if I do speak as I
shouldn't have done formerly--a little sharp or so--why, it's because
I've been worried by many a care no one knows anything of."