e bowl on to the cloth. "James
Ellis," she said, rising, "come with me."

The bailiff stared, and followed the rustling silk dress out through the
French window, and along the tiled floors of the conservatory, to the
angle where it turned suddenly and went along by the drawing-room.

There she stopped suddenly, with her eyes looking bright and tearful
once more, as she pointed to the far end and whispered--

"Not do better, James Ellis? Man, what do you say to that?"

CHAPTER TWELVE.

James Ellis did not say anything to "that" for a few moments, but stood
rubbing the bridge of his nose with the hard rim of his hat, which he
held in his hand.

For there, to his utter astonishment, was John Grange, bright-eyed,
erect, and with his face lit up with eager pleasure, busily tying up a
plant to the sticks from which its strands had strayed. A few pieces of
raffia grass were hung round his neck, his sleeves were turned up, and,
evidently in utter ignorance of the fact that he was being watched, he
bent over the plant upon its shelf, and with deft fingers traced the
course of this branch and that, and following all up in turn, tied those
which were loose. After cutting the grass as he tied each knot, he
examined the plant all over with his fingers till he found one wanton,
wild, unnecessary shoot, and passing the knife-blade down to its origin,
he was in the act of cutting it off when James Ellis made a gesture to
stop him, but was arrested by Mrs Mostyn, who held up her hand and
frowned.

By that time the shoot was neatly taken off--cut as a gardener can cut,
drawing his knife slightly and cleverly across, making one of those
wounds in the right place which heal so easily in the young skin.

Then Grange's hands played about the plant for a few minutes as he felt
whether it was in perfect balance, and pressed it back a little upon the
shelf, measuring by a touch whether it was exactly in its place.

Directly after he walked across that end of the conservatory without a
moment's hesitation, stopped before the opposite stand, and stretched
out his hand to place it upon a pot, about whose contents it began to
stray, was withdrawn, extended again, and then wandered to the pots on
either side; but only to be finally withdrawn, the poor fellow looking
puzzled, and Mrs Mostyn smiled, nodded, and placing her lips close to
the bailiff's ear, whispered--

"There used to be another of those white pelargoniums standing th