his we did, and though we
continued to help Sam Dawes in his farm labours even more efficiently
than before, so steady was our application when engaged with our books
under our kind tutor, that we made considerable progress in our studies.
For three years or more we lived on very happily, with nothing to
change our course of life, when we received notice from England that a
relation of our father's especially wished us to return. On consulting
our friend the clergyman, he strongly recommended us to accept the
invitation offered us. As we expected speedily to return we left Sam
Dawes in charge of the farm, though he was almost heart-broken at
parting from us. He would, indeed, never have consented to remain had
he not believed that it was for our interest to do so. On reaching
England great was our surprise to find that our relative intended to
leave us his property. On ascertaining our attainments in knowledge, he
insisted on our both going to the university. Your uncle Malcolm took
high honours, and entered into holy orders. I became, as was our
relative, a merchant, and without allowing business to absorb me, I have
considerably increased the small portion he left me. Your uncle Malcolm
and I have constantly talked of going over to visit Sam Dawes, but
circumstances have prevented us. We long ago made over the farm to him,
and he has greatly increased and improved it. He is, we hear, a hale
old man. And now, Harry, I have told you a long story enough for
to-day. Some other time I will tell you more about the wonders of
Rupert's Land.

CHAPTER TWO.

THE SHEPHERD LORD, BY JULIA CORNER, AUTHOR OF THE "HISTORICAL LIBRARY,"
ETCETERA.

It is now about four hundred years since a great feast was held at
Skipton Castle, to celebrate the birth of a son and heir to the noble
house of De Clifford. The young lord of the domain had just succeeded
to the title and vast possessions of his father, Thomas Lord Clifford,
who was killed in the battle of Saint Albans, at the beginning of the
civil wars between the rival houses of York and Lancaster, and, by his
death, his only son John, then not much more than twenty years of age,
became lord of the great manor of Skipton in Yorkshire, and of Brougham
Castle, with its wide lands, in Westmoreland, besides other castles and
estates in different parts of the Northern Counties. A rich and
powerful family were the De Cliffords, descended from Richard of
Normandy, the uncl