ch prepared boys for the merchant service, and his
tastes were so much in the direction of the sea, that it was much to be
regretted that at fourteen and a half it was useless to think of
preparation for a naval cadetship. He was sent up by train to join his
uncle at Hurminster, and the first question after the greeting was, 'I
say, uncle, shan't you have a yacht?'

'I could not afford it, if I wished it,' was the answer, while _Punch_
was handed over to him, and Lord Northmoor applied himself to a long blue
letter.

'Landlubber!' sighed Herbert to himself, with true marine contempt for a
man who had sat on an office-stool all his life. 'He doesn't look a bit
more of a swell than he used to. It is well there's some one with some
pluck in the family.'

CHAPTER IX
THE HEIR-PRESUMPTUOUS

Herbert began to be impressed when, on the train arriving at a little
country station, a servant in mourning, with finger to his hat, inquired
after his Lordship's luggage, and another was seen presiding over a
coroneted brougham.

'I say,' he breathed forth, when they were shut in, 'is this yours?'

'It is Miss Morton's, I believe, at present. I am to arrange whether to
keep it or not.'

They were driving over an open heath in its summer carpet-like state of
purple heather, dwarf gorse, and bracken. Lord Northmoor looked out,
with thoughtfulness in his face. By and by there was a gate, a lodge, a
curtseying woman, and as they passed it, he said, 'Now, this is
Northmoor.'

'Yours, uncle?'

'Yes.'

'My--!' was all Herbert could utter. It semed to his town-bred eyes a
huge space before they reached, through some rather scanty plantations,
another lodge, and a park, not very extensive, but with a few fine trees,
and they thundered up beneath the pillars to what was, to his idea, a
palace--with servants standing about in a great hall.

His uncle would have turned one way, but a servant said, 'Miss Morton is
in the morning-room, my Lord,' and ushered them into a room where a lady
in black came forward.

'You did not expect to find me here still,' she said cordially; 'but
Adela is gone to her brother's, and I thought I had better stay for the
division of--of the things.'

'Oh, certainly--I am--glad,' he stammered, with a blush as one not quite
sure of the correctness of the proceeding. 'I wouldn't have intruded--'

'Bosh! I'm the intruder. Letitia Bury is gone--alas--but,' said she,
laughing, 'Hailes is here