Mr.
Allan, a widower, who had taken up his abode in the mansion, bringing
with him his only daughter, Janet, had not been two months in the
village before he had made an offer of marriage to the devoted Mrs.
Maynard, and the old lady was now mistress of Binfield Towers. Mary
Blackett had thereupon taken at their word the affectionate offer of
the Fairburns, and was now to them as a daughter. Nor was this all.
Fieldsend's old father had lately died, and the Major himself had
succeeded to the baronetcy and had left the army. Brother and sister
had accepted with pleasure the invitation that had come to them to
spend a few weeks with the kindly Mr. and Mrs. Fairburn. Matthew was
to make the same hospitable roof his abode.
"The good old dad will find it a bit of a squeeze," George ruminated,
as he walked with the rest towards the family cottage. Cottage! He
gave a jump when the home came into full view. It was a veritable
mansion. The original nucleus was there, but so deftly added to and
surrounded by a regular series of new wings, and so framed and
embellished by wide lawn and flower-bed that George did not know this
fine place. He remarked on the change when his mother came to his room
at bedtime, to give him his good-night kiss as she had been wont to do
in the days of old.
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