ll find him poorly, Mr. Elsmere, but mending--oh yes, mending,
sir--no doubt of it.'

Elsmere began to perceive a figure by the fire. A bony hand was advanced
to him out of the gloom.

'That'll do, Meyrick. You won't be wanted till the evening.'

The imperious note in the voice struck Robert with a sudden sense of
relief. After all, the squire was still capable of trampling on Meyrick.

In another minute the door had closed on the old doctor, and the two men
were alone. Robert was beginning to get used to the dim light. Out of it
the squire's face gleamed almost as whitely as the tortured marble of
the Medusa just above their heads.

'It's some inflammation in the eyes,' the squire explained briefly,
'that's made Meyrick set up all this d--d business of blinds and
shutters. I don't mean to stand it much longer. The eyes are better, and
I prefer to see my way out of the world, if possible.'

'But you are recovering?' Robert said, laying his hand affectionately on
the old man's knee.

'I have added to my knowledge,' said the squire drily. 'Like Heine, I am
qualified to give lectures in heaven on the ignorance of doctors on
earth. And I am not in bed, which I was last week. For Heaven's sake
don't ask questions. If there is a loathsome subject on earth it is the
subject of the human body. Well, I suppose my message to you dragged you
away from a thousand things you had rather be doing. What are you so
hoarse for? Neglecting yourself as usual, for the sake of "the people,"
who wouldn't even subscribe to bury you? Have you been working up the
Apocrypha as I recommended you last time we met?'

Robert smiled.

'For the last four months, Squire, I have been doing two things with
neither of which had you much sympathy in old days--holiday-making and
"slumming."'

'Oh, I remember,' interrupted the squire hastily. 'I was low last week,
and read the Church papers by way of a counter-irritant. You have been
starting a new religion, I see. A new religion! _Humph!_'

The great head fell forward, and through the dusk Robert caught the
sarcastic gleam of the eyes.

'You are hardly the man to deny,' he said, undisturbed, 'that the old
ones _laissent a desirer_.'

'Because there are old abuses, is that any reason why you should go and
set up a brand-new one--an ugly anachronism besides,' retorted the
squire. 'However, you and I have no common ground--never had. I say
_know_, you say _feel_. Where is the difference, after a