twenty years. But now he declares that he is Lucy's legal guardian;
his brother died suddenly and left no will, and he came today to
claim her as his ward. Father wouldn't hear of it; but told him
Lucy had been brought here by the express command of her father,
and he refused to give her up. The squire was in a terrible rage:
'tis said he has fallen on evil times, and is set on getting a hold
on Lucy's property in Jamaica, and making a match between her and
his son Dick--the lubber I told you of. There was an angry scene
'twixt him and father, you could have heard him roaring all over
the house, and he went away in a towering passion, swearing that
we'd not heard the last of it, and he'd go to law, and he'd beat us
even though it cost him his last penny, and more to the same
effect. Father makes light of it, but I know he is uneasy: he has
been several times of late to see his lawyer in Bridgenorth, and
'tis by no means clear how the law will decide. There will be
trouble, for Sir Richard is an obstinate man, and I'm glad you are
here, for we are not going to let Lucy leave us, and if he comes
one day to take her by force we'll make a fight for it, Joe. And
I'll tell you what: you must teach me how to use my fists. Shall we
begin now, Joe?"

I smiled at his eagerness, and though I was tired after my day's
work I would not disappoint him, but stripped off my coat, and then
and there began his instruction in what my old friend the captain
called the noble art of self defense. He proved an apt pupil, and I
a conscientious teacher, pleasing myself with the thought that by
making him expert in boxing I was maybe gathering interest on Dick
Cludde's crown piece. And being then of the age when romantic ideas
get some hold upon a boy's mind, I flattered myself also that by
staying on at the Hall I became in some sort a defender of fair
Lucy Cludde, who was far too good, I vowed, for that pudding-headed
lubber Dick.

After this Roger and I became faster friends than ever. We had
constant sparring matches and some practice also with singlestick
and foils; and Mr. Johnson would let me off sometimes of an
afternoon to go a-fishing with the boy. Before I had been a month
at the Hall there were few likely streams for miles around that I
did not know. All this time I had seen very little of the other
members of the family. Mr. Allardyce was putting me to probation,
inquiring of my diligence from Mr. Johnson, and hearing somewhat o