Dariel

o. At an early age he had come into the chief control of a long-established firm, one of those that venture little, but keep on rolling from age to age the ball of accumulating gold.

people who met him outside the covert, or rode with him when the scent was hot, declared that he was a most excellent fellow, ready at an answer, int

poor; and I am sure that we were not so narrow-minded as to feel any grudge on that account. My mother especially-as behoved one of the most charitable of women-found many good excuses for a practice of his, which some might have taken as a proof of want of taste. Our cottage was beside the direct road from the Hall to the nearest railway station, for no line had cut up our neighbourhood as yet. Every morning, at least except on Saturday and Sunday, when we were sitting down to breakfast, a rattle of wheels and clank of si

jingling by, and she stopped my sugar to stare at it-"Perhaps you long to be upon that spare cushion," I remarked; for what man can put up

ittle bit of thoughtlessness, redressed at first perception? Somebody told Stoneman, or perhaps he found it out, for nothing escaped him, that I was displeased at his flashing by like that, not on my own account, as scarcely need be

o dwell little upon such big matters, but carry on pleasantly, and suit us, and amuse us, and seem to be rather below than above us, in mind, and ambition, and standard of life. Tom Erricker knows that he is of that cla

art, impulsive, very eager to oblige, and gifted with a very high opinion of himself, and a profound scorn of everything that he could not understand. He was generous, bold, and adventurous, a keen j

, Tom, would suit you better. And little crow's-feet already coming! What business have they there at five-and-twenty? It can't be reading too hard, or you would have got through, last ti

ivacity. He was right enough also in the observation that there was not enough of him to enforce the impression which such wisdom as his should create; for although not by any means a dwarf, he was of less than average stature, while exceedingly active and very well built. But

o so now; and it may have been also that I felt uneasy about my own behaviour, and longed for some encouragement. Be that as it will, when Tom Erricker came down, as he never failed to do at least once every month, to spend Saturday and Sunday with us, no sooner had I got him in my little

r hear a story without interruption. But when I had assured him for the fiftieth time that there was nothi

is. You, who live so near, and are only acquainted with country ways, must not move in the matter. I shall find the key to it. You can do nothing. I get about among people s

looks as if I was wrong in doing even that, when you begin talking in that sort of way. Is it likely that I would let you take it up? If I cannot myself, as a gentlema

always try to be straightforward. Why did I go down in the last exam? They asked me to describe a contingent remainder; and I said it was a remainder that was contingent. Could anything be more correct than

s and patents, and finding silver and gold enough for a month's heavy plating sink into the long robe, this gentleman had said to his wife, "Why not keep

s examiners, he was ready to go on for ever; and so I cut him short wit

feel ashamed of me, for acting the spy upon a young lady who had

my aunt Gertrude has said so fifty times; and I feel the making of it in me, though it takes a long time in development. And I sum up the merits thus, George Cran

loses more by wear and tear) was relieved, much more

you the place. There is plenty of time before dinner yet. Only you

ember of the "Devil's Own," and a very zealous one, for suc

etimes, for Tom, her pony was heartily at his service, if he would promise not to whip her. Tom came out of our little hole, when this stipulation reached his ears, and he put on his hat for the pleasure and glory of taking it off again to my sister. Among his many tendern

dy reads this, he may think that nothing to dwell upon had come home to me, by reason of what I had seen that day when the millers made light of my samples. But this I can declare, and would have done so long ag

would think there had never been a tear shed in the world, except by some brat who knew not how to cut his teeth. He was now in great exaltation at having fetched me, as he thought, to his level; for I had always regarded his light flirtations with a pleasant tur

ved more than talking as if he had followed hounds from his infancy, instead of grow

have had my bad times, I don't mind them in a burst; but I'm blessed if

a bit of firland as can be found even in Surrey; and that may challe

re about. And the shooting is worth twice as much as the crops, in the present condition of the market. Never mind, George, I won't t

at he never meant to vex me. "But I am sorry that we cannot give you leave even to poke about here wi

rge. But where the deuce does your nymph hang out? Aha! goo

y by its fringe of bushes the windings of the brook which I had crossed that day on my return from Guildford. It seemed to be ages ago, whereas it was only four weeks; but I had thought about it enough to make a very broad space of time. And here was Tom chaffing,

ereas, though I did ask his opinion at a distance, it was the last thing I should think of now; and in plain truth, what business had he

ot be the place. Look at your poor legs. They are fat enough; but wh

e in a manner which might have provoked me, if I had been capable of thinking twice about him now. "In a blue study

warmth, as was natural. And then, just to show him how calmly I took his

, cutting a sort of jag, or perhaps it is a great

iner. A jag which is a curve at the same ti

at you can't see the wall, and the ivy on it. No

miles away? Let us go on,

u are upon your honour about all this. Well, that is the wall of an old monastery, more than five hundred years old, I believe, and connec

e paid, if it had any water. Free trade has not had time to destroy the pounders yet, although it has kil

ace, since the time I told you of, and we have nothing to do with that valley now, I have put a few quiet questions here a

pa of the beautiful nymph, no doubt. But you

man would ever think of meddling with his neighbours

some wicked old conspirator, a Nihilist perhaps, or at least an Anarchist, taking advantage of our stupid hospitality, to hatch so

a little common-sense in you. As if it

nd I am blessed if I ever could have believed tha

le flick behind that my friend had as much as he could do to keep in the saddle, for