e, and he can't look
over the wall, no, not with a telescope?'

'I can't help it, Ethel. It may be very wrong and unkind of me--Heaven
forgive me if it is, and prevent me from doing the boy any harm! but I
never can rid myself of a feeling of there being something behind when
he seems the most straightforward. If he had only not got his
grandfather's mouth and nose! And,' smiling after all--'I don't know
what I said to be so scolded; all lads flirt, and you can't deny that
Master Tom divided his attentions pretty freely last year between Mrs.
Pugh and poor Ave Ward.'

'This time, I believe, it was out of pure kindness to me,' said Ethel,
'so I am bound to his defence. He dragged off poor Daisy to chaperon
them, that I might have a little peace.'

'Ah! he came down on us this morning,' said the Doctor, 'on Richard and
Flora and me, and gave us a lecture on letting you grow old,
Ethel--said you were getting over-tasked, and no one heeding it; and
looking--let's look'--and he took off his spectacles, put his hand on
her shoulder, and studied her face.

'Old enough to be a respectable lady of the house, I hope,' said Ethel.

'Wiry enough for most things,' said the Doctor, patting her shoulder,
reassured; 'but we must take care, Ethel; if you don't fatten yourself
up, we shall have Flora coming and carrying you off to London for a
change, and for Tom to practise on.

'That is a threat! I expected he had been prescribing for me already,
never to go near Cocksmoor, for that's what people always begin by--'

'Nothing worse than pale ale.' At which Ethel made one of her faces.
'And to make a Mary of that chit of a Daisy. Well, you may do as you
please--only take care, or Flora will be down upon us.'

'Tom has been very helpful and kind to me,' said Ethel. 'And, papa, he
has seen Leonard, and he says he looked so noble that to shake hands
with him made him feel quite small.'

'I never heard anything so much to Tom's credit! Well, and what did he
say of the dear lad?'

The next step was to mention Averil's letter to Mary, which could not
be sent on till tidings had been permitted by Mr. Cheviot.

'Let us see it,' said the Doctor.

'Do you think Charles Cheviot would like it?'

'Cheviot is a man of sense,' said the open-hearted Doctor, 'and there
may be something to authorize preventing this unlucky transfer of her
fortune.'

Nothing could be further from it; but it was a long and interesting
letter, writ