Granger?"
"He is not a particularly unpleasant person, papa; rather stiff and
matter-of-fact, but not ungentlemanly; and he has been especially polite to
me, as if he pitied me for having lost Arden."
In a general way Mr. Lovel would have been inclined to protest against
being pitied, either in his own person or that of his belongings, by such a
man as Daniel Granger. But in his present humour it was not displeasing to
him to find that the owner of Arden Court had been especially polite to
Clarissa.
"Then he is really a nice fellow, this Granger, eh, Clary?" he said airily.
"I did not say nice, papa."
"No, but civil and good-natured, and that kind of thing. Do you know, I
hear nothing but praises of him about Arden; and he is really doing
wonders for the place. Looking at his work with an unjaundiced mind, it is
impossible to deny that. And then his wealth!--something enormous, they
tell me. How do you like the daughter, by the way?"
This question Mr. Lovel asked with something of a wry face, as if the
existence of Daniel Granger's daughter was not a pleasing circumstance in
his mind.
"Not particularly, papa. She is very good, I daresay, and seems anxious to
do good among the poor; and she is clever and accomplished, but she is not
a winning person. I don't think I could ever get on with her very well."
"That's a pity, since you are such near neighbours.
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