But the squire was not in such good spirits, and went but heavily into the discussion.At the end of it he said àpropos de bottes , - 'But don't you think you could like her if you tried, Roger?' Roger knew perfectly well to what his father was alluding, but for an instant he was on the point of pretending to misunderstand.At length, however, he said, in a low voice, - 'I shall never try, father.Don't let us talk any more about it.As I said before, it is too late.' The squire was like a child to whom some toy has been refused; from time to time the thought of his disappointment in this matter recurred to his mind; and then he took to blaming Cynthia as the primary cause of Roger's present indifference to womankind.It so happened that on Molly's last morning at the Hall, she received her first letter from Cynthia - Mrs Henderson.It was just before breakfast-time:
