ows on the whole."

"There are just as large a proportion of good noblemen as there are of
any other class--more than that you have no right to expect. I'm a
Liberal, as my father was before me, and a pretty strong one too; but I
think that a man with sixty thousand acres, and a seat in the House of
Lords, is entitled to a certain sort of respect. A Grand Seigneur is a
very capital institution if he will only stay on his estates some part
of the year."

"Ay!" said Jim; who was a shrewd fellow in his way. "They know that
here, well enough: look at our Macarthurs and Wentworths,--but then
they must be men, and not snobs, as the governor says."

When they got home, they found Sam and Alice sitting in the verandah as
comfortable as you please.

"Well," said Jim, "you are a nice lot! This is what you call
kangaroo-hunting!"

"Oh, you went too fast for us. Have you killed?"

"Yes! out by the big swamp."

"You have taken your time to get home then."

"Poor Bolt is cut up, and we couldn't go out of a walk. Now give us
something to eat, will you, Alice?"

"Well, ring the bell and we will have lunch."

But just as Jim rang the bell, there was a loud voice outside, and the
three young men went out to see who it was, and found two horsemen in
front of the door.

One, who was still sitting on his horse, was a darkhaired slight young
man, Charles Hawker in fact, whom we know already, but the other, who
had dismounted, and was leaning against his horse, was a highbred,
delicate little fellow, to whom we have yet to be introduced.

He was a slight lad, perhaps not more than eighteen, with one of the
pleasantest, handsomest faces of his own that you could wish to see,
and also a very intellectual look about him, which impressed you at
once with the idea that if he lived he would have made some sort of
figure in life. He was one of the greatest dandies, also, in those
parts, and after the longest ride used to look as if he had been turned
out of a bandbox. On the present occasion he had on two articles of
dress which attracted Jim's attention amazingly. The first was a new
white hat, which was a sufficiently remarkable thing in those parts at
that time; and the second, a pair of yellow leather riding-trousers.

"Why, Cecil Mayford!" said Sam, "How do you do? Charley, how are you?
Just in time for lunch. Come in."

Jim was walking round and round Cecil without speaking a word. At last
the latter said, "How do YOU do, Jam