special
preserve of match-girls, newsboys, etc., and Mr. Hailes is going to help
me to get a scrumptious little house, whence I can get to it by
underground rail. Oh, you may shake your head, Mr. Hailes, but if you
will not help me, I shall set my unassisted genius to work, and you'll
only suffer agonies in thinking of the muddle I may be making.'

'What does Lady Adela say?' asked Mr. Hailes.

'She thinks me old enough to take care of myself, whatever you do, Mr.
Hailes; besides, she knows I can come up to breathe! I long for it!'

The dinner ended by Bertha rising, and proposing to Herbert to come with
her. It was not too dark, she said, to look out into the Park and see
the rabbits scudding about.

'Ah!' said Mr. Hailes, shaking his head as they went, 'the rabbits ought
not to be so near, but there has been sad neglect since poor Mr. Morton's
death.'

It was much easier to get on in a _tete-a-tete_, and before long Mr.
Hailes had heard some of the perplexities about Herbert, the foremost of
which was how to make him presentable for ladies' society in the evening.
If Miss Morton's presence had been anticipated, either his uncle would
not have brought him, or would have fitted him out beforehand, for though
he looked fit for the fields and woods in male company, evening costume
had not yet dawned on his imagination. Mr. Hailes recommended sending
him in the morning to the town at Colbeam, under charge of the butler,
Prowse--who would rather enjoy the commission, and was quite capable of
keeping up any needed authority. For the future training, the more
important matter on which he was next consulted, Mr. Hailes mentioned the
name of a private tutor, who was likely to be able to deal with the boy
better under present circumstances than a public school could do--since
at Herbert's age, his ignorance of the classics on the one hand, and of
gentlemanly habits on the other, would tell too much against him.

'But,' said Mr. Hailes, 'Miss Morton will be a very good adviser to you
on that head.'

'She is very good-natured to him,' said Frank.

'No one living has a better heart than Miss Morton,' said Mr. Hailes
heartily; 'a little eccentric, owing to--to circumstances. She has had
her troubles, poor dear; but she has as good a heart as ever was, as you
will find, my Lord, in all arrangements with her.'

Nevertheless, Lord Northmoor's feelings towards her might be startled the
next morning, when he descended to