Forbidden to marry a novel - 1883 Author:Isabella Banks Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER HI. SOMETHING EASH. |HE gig-horse had been allowed to take its own. leisurely pace, whilst Joe Bent expounded his private views with relation to Mu... more »riel, which were pretty much those of Lieutenant Wynne ; namely, that he should marry Muriel forthwith, and " laugh at old Mother Hopley," as he phrased it. He had not brought his aunt out solely for the benefit of the air, or the admiration of scenery, and, not having Muriel by his side, endeavoured to turn the drive to account and do a little courtship at second-hand, contentedly assuming that his proposal was one to be snapped at. He had imagined his attentions to have been all along so self-evident, that he was astonished to find he had taken his aunt very much by surprise; but it ended in hisbeing referred to Muriel herself, subject also to the approval of the folk at the Grange, and to her father and grandmother likewise. He had thought it might be " settled right off." " I've no fear for the old folk at the Grange, not I," cried confident Joe, " Father'll be glad to see one of us settled down, and as for mother I've heard her wish she'd a daughter like Muriel, scores of times. And I know you've only to put in a good word for me, Aunt, and the business is done." " I think not, Joe," calmly answered Mrs. D'Anyer, " Muriel is easy and unselfish, but she forms her own opinions, and is not to be led in such a matter." Self-satisfied Joe might have no fears about the people at home, but he saw something in the faces of Muriel and her companion, when they overtook the gig, that rather puzzled him, still he chuckled inwardly with the calm conviction that he would soon put the intrusive lieutenant to the right-about, and forestall his cousin Fawcett. Had henot known Muriel all her life ? and had they not be...« less