tly, as he ruffled my
head with his hand. (I understood well enough to take off my cap to a
clergyman.) "Joe Yarrow, I know your father. And I think--yes, I
think--" (he put a lot of accent on the _think_) "Master Joseph, you
ought to be at school. Shall I tell your father, Joseph? If I did, I
make no doubt that he would give you a coat of a few colours, mainly
black and blue. Ha! ha!"

But he had that light way with him, which made us quite sure that he
would do nothing half so mean as to tell either my father or Mr.
Mustard the schoolmaster.

"And who is this young lady?" he said, looking at Elsie, who was tall,
and when taken short like that had a kind of "distant" look which made
people think she was haughty. But she looked very nice that way--what
people call pretty and "chic" (whatever that may be). I could see that
Mr. Ablethorpe was interested in her directly. I could have knocked
his head off! Cheek, indeed!

"She lives with a poor working woman," said Miss Orrin, who had no
doubt noticed the interest as well as I, "one named Nance Edgar, not
very far out of Breckonside village. But not in your parish, Mr.
Ablethorpe. Will you come this way, Mr. Ablethorpe? There is tea
ready for you."

But Mr Ablethorpe had his own time of doing things, and with such a
girl as Elsie in front of him, he was not in a hurry.

"Lives with a poor woman, does she?--Nancy--Nancy--what name did you
say?" he went on in the tone in which people ask for additional
information.

But I was not going to stand this--from Miss Orrin or any one, about my
Elsie.

"This is Miss Elsie Stennis," I said, with what of dignity I could
compass with my inches, "the only grand daughter of Mr Stennis, the
owner of this property."

"But how?" said the young man, looking, as I thought, a little
reproachfully at Miss Orrin; "I was not seriously aware that Mr.
Stennis had any relatives alive."

"This girl has been represented as the child of his daughter Isabella,"
said Miss Orrin, "but Mr. Stennis, doubtless for excellent reasons, has
never acknowledged her as such!"

"But the church records and the registrar have, though," said I. "You
can speak to old Mr. Askew, if you like--he knows!"

"You can go now," said Miss Orrin, with dignity, cutting me short, "and
remember that you are not to return till you have received an
invitation. Mr. Stennis will overlook your conduct on this occasion,
in consideration of your youth and igno