se numerous
alliances by which his order were renewing the sinews of war, and indeed
in his capacity of an expert, often pointing out the dangers of too much
in-breeding--yet he had a peculiar personal feeling about his own family,
and was perhaps a little extra sensitive because of Agatha; for Shropton,
though a good fellow, and extremely wealthy, was only a third baronet,
and had originally been made of iron. It was inadvisable to go outside
the inner circle where there was no material necessity for so doing. He
had not done it himself. Moreover there was a sentiment about these
things!

On the morning after his arrival, visiting the kennels before breakfast,
he stood chatting with his head man, and caressing the wet noses of his
two favourite pointers,--with something of the feeling of a boy let out
of school. Those pleasant creatures, cowering and quivering with pride
against his legs, and turning up at him their yellow Chinese eyes, gave
him that sense of warmth and comfort which visits men in the presence of
their hobbies. With this particular pair, inbred to the uttermost, he
had successfully surmounted a great risk. It was now touch and go
whether he dared venture on one more cross to the original strain, in the
hope of eliminating the last clinging of liver colour. It was a
gamble--and it was just that which rendered it so vastly interesting.

A small voice diverted his attention; he looked round and saw little Ann.
She had been in bed when he arrived the night before, and he was
therefore the newest thing about.

She carried in her arms a guinea-pig, and began at once:

"Grandpapa, Granny wants you. She's on the terrace; she's talking to Mr.
Courtier. I like him--he's a kind man. If I put my guinea-pig down,
will they bite it? Poor darling--they shan't! Isn't it a darling!"

Lord Valleys, twirling his moustache, regarded the guinea-pig without
favour; he had rather a dislike for all senseless kinds of beasts.

Pressing the guinea-pig between her hands, as it might be a concertina,
little Ann jigged it gently above the pointers, who, wrinkling horribly
their long noses, gazed upwards, fascinated.

"Poor darlings, they want it--don't they? Grandpapa"

"Yes."

"Do you think the next puppies will be spotted quite all over?"

Continuing to twirl his moustache, Lord Valleys answered:

"I think it is not improbable, Ann."

"Why do you like them spotted like that? Oh! they're kissing Sambo--