in Guestwick, having at one time occupied a large tract of land, and
lost much money in experimental farming; and late in life he had
taken a small house on the outskirts of the town, and there had died,
some two years previously to the commencement of this story. With no
other man had Mr Dale lived on terms so intimate; and when Mr Eames
died Mr Dale acted as executor under his will, and as guardian to his
children. He had, moreover, obtained for John Eames that situation
under the Crown which he now held.

And Mrs Eames had been and still was on very friendly terms with Mrs
Dale. The squire had never taken quite kindly to Mrs Eames, whom her
husband had not met till he was already past forty years of age. But
Mrs Dale had made up by her kindness to the poor forlorn woman for
any lack of that cordiality which might have been shown to her from
the Great House. Mrs Eames was a poor forlorn woman,--forlorn even
during the time of her husband's life, but very woebegone now in her
widowhood. In matters of importance the squire had been kind to her;
arranging for her little money affairs, advising her about her house
and income, also getting for her that appointment for her son. But
he snubbed her when he met her, and poor Mrs Eames held him in great
awe. Mrs Dale held her brother-in-law in no awe, and sometimes gave
to the widow from Guestwick advice quite at variance to that given by
the squire. In this way there had grown up an intimacy between Bell
and Lily and the young Eames, and either of the girls was prepared
to declare that Johnny Eames was her own and well-loved friend.
Nevertheless, they spoke of him occasionally with some little dash of
merriment,--as is not unusual with pretty girls who have hobbledehoys
among their intimate friends, and who are not themselves unaccustomed
to the grace of an Apollo.