To him up to that time the Babington folk had always been a unit.

No one else had been so good-natured to him, had so petted him, and so freely administered to all his wants.

He would kiss them all round whenever he went to Babington; but he had not kissed Julia more than her sisters.

There were three sons, whom he never specially liked, and who certainly were fools.

One was the heir, and, of course, did nothing; the second was struggling for a degree at Oxford with an eye to the family living; the third was in a fair way to become the family gamekeeper.