t been crossed by a
branch line, and the primary growth of a station had been followed by the
discovery of good building stone, and the erection of a crop of houses of
all degrees, which promised to set the Northmoor finances on a better
footing than had been theirs for years, and set their conscientious
landlord to work at once on providing church room and schools.

All this, and that most precious possession at home, combined to give
Lord Northmoor an amount of spirit and life that enabled him to take his
place in the county, emancipate himself from the squire, show an opinion
of his own, and open his mouth occasionally. As Bertha observed, no one
would ever have called him a stick if he had begun like this. To people
like these, humbled and depressed in early life, a little happiness was a
great stimulus.

CHAPTER XXV
THE LOVE

It was not till Christmas that Ida had the opportunity of making her
observations. By that time 'Mite,' as he was supposed to have named
himself, had found the use of his feet, and was acquiring that of his
tongue. In fact, he was a very fine forward child, who might easily have
been supposed to be eighteen months old instead of fifteen, as Ida did
not fail to remark.

He was a handsome little creature, round and fair, with splendid sturdy
legs and mottled arms, hair that stood up in a pale golden crest, round
blue eyes and a bright colour, without much likeness as yet to either
parent, though Lord Northmoor declared that there was an exact
resemblance to his own brother, Charles, Herbert's father, as he first
remembered him. Ida longed to purse up her lips but did not dare, and
was provoked to see her mother taken completely captive by his charms,
and petting him to the utmost extent.

Indeed, Lady Northmoor, who was very much afraid of spoiling him, was
often distressed when such scenes as this took place. 'Mite! Mite, dear,
no!' when his fat little hands had grasped an ivory paper-cutter, and its
blade was on the way to the button mouth. 'No!' as he paused and looked
at her. 'Here's Mite's ball! poor little dear, do let him have it'--and
Mite, reading sympathy in his aunt's face, laughed in a fascinating
triumphant manner, and took a bite with his small teeth.

'Mite! mother said no!' and it was gently taken from his hand, but before
the fingers had embraced the substituted ball, a depreciating look and
word of remonstrance gave a sense of ill-usage and there was a ro