ed, "Miss Vanderpoel! What a fine girl! How
unusually handsome!"

Selden turned with a gasp of delighted, amazed recognition.

"Miss Vanderpoel," he burst forth, "Reuben Vanderpoel's daughter! The
one that's over here visiting her sister. Is it that one--sure?"

"Yes," from Mount Dunstan without fervour. "Lady Anstruthers lives at
Stornham, about six miles from here."

"Gee," with feverish regret. "If her father was there, and I could get
next to him, my fortune would be made."

"Should you," ventured Penzance politely, "endeavour to sell him a
typewriter?"

"A typewriter! Holy smoke! I'd try to sell him ten thousand. A fellow
like that syndicates the world. If I could get next to him----" and he
mounted his bicycle with a laugh.

"Get next," murmured Penzance.

"Get on the good side of him," Mount Dunstan murmured in reply.

"So long, gentlemen, good-bye, and thank you again," called G. Selden as
he wheeled off, and was carried soundlessly down the golden road.

CHAPTER XXIV

THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF STORNHAM

The satin-skinned chestnut was one of the new horses now standing in
the Stornham stables. There were several of them--a pair for the landau,
saddle horses, smart young cobs for phaeton or dog cart, a pony for
Ughtred--the animals necessary at such a place at Stornham. The stables
themselves had been quickly put in order, grooms and stable boys kept
them as they had not been kept for years. The men learned in a week's
time that their work could not be done too well. There were new
carriages as well as horses. They had come from London after Lady
Anstruthers and her sister returned from town. The horses had been
brought down by their grooms--immensely looked after, blanketed, hooded,
and altogether cared for as if they were visiting dukes and duchesses.
They were all fine, handsome, carefully chosen creatures. When they
danced and sidled through the village on their way to the Court, they
created a sensation. Whosoever had chosen them had known his business.
The older vehicles had been repaired in the village by Tread, and did
him credit. Fox had also done his work well.

Plenty more of it had come into their work-shops. Tools to be used on
the estate, garden implements, wheelbarrows, lawn rollers, things needed
about the house, stables, and cottages, were to be attended to. The
church roof was being repaired. Taking all these things and the "doing
up" of the Court itself, there was more work t