ch
you have agreed."

Not a word was said as to the possibility of Ebben Owens objecting to
the arrangement, in fact, neither of them thought of the old man, who
even now was sitting in the chimney corner at Garthowen, building
castles in the air, and dreaming dreams in which Will ever played the
part of hero.

Later on, when the latter lay wakeful in the silent hours of night, the
distant roar of the river carried home to his heart too, the memory of
the old homestead, of many a scene of his careless and happy boyhood,
and of the old man, the warmth of whose affection for him he was
beginning to find rather irksome and embarrassing.

On the following day Dr. Owen called all his servants together, and in
a few words but with a very decided manner, made them acquainted with
the important step which he had taken with regard to Will, and bade
them bear in mind, that for the future, his nephew would hold, next to
himself, the highest place in the household. Will had been careful to
ingratiate himself as much as possible with the old servants, whose
opinions he thought might weigh somewhat in their master's decisions,
the younger ones he treated with a somewhat haughty bearing.

"You will be coming again next week," said the Dr., as they both sat at
dinner together; "the Trevors are coming, you know, to spend a few days
with me, a long promised visit. We shall have a day with the otter
hounds. Colonel Vaughan and Miss Gwenda are coming too, did I tell
you?"

"No," said Will, "I did not know that. Do they often stay with you?"

"No, they have never been here before. They were dining at the
Trevors. I included them in the invitation, and they promised to come.
Miss Gwenda is a great favourite of mine, and of yours, Will, eh? Am I
right?"

Will's handsome face flushed as he answered with some embarrassment,
for he was not at all sure that his uncle would approve of the
entanglement of a love affair.

"I--I. Well, sir, no one can be acquainted with Miss Vaughan without
being impressed by her charms both of mind and person, but further than
that, it would--I have no right to--in fact, uncle, it would be madness
for a young man in my station, I mean--of my obscure birth, to think of
a young lady like Miss Vaughan."

"Oh, that you can leave out of your calculations henceforth, I imagine.
I know the world better than you do, Will, and I shall be much
surprised if the advantages of being my adopted son and my heir