things about Melrose you've never
told me!"

Lady Tatham smiled faintly, but did not reply. Whereat Mrs. Penfold whose
curiosity was insatiable, within lady-like bounds, tried to ask questions
of her hostess. A wife? Surely there had been a wife?

"Certainly--twenty years ago. I saw her." The answer came readily.

"She ran away?"

"Not in the usual sense. There was no one, I understand, to run with.
But she could not stand Threlfall--nor--I suppose--her husband. So one
day--when he had gone to Italy, and she was left behind--she just--"

"'Elopes--down a ladder of ropes'" laughed Tatham; "and took the child?"

"Yes--and a bronze, worth a thousand pounds."

"Sensible woman! And where are they now?"

Lady Tatham shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh, they can't be alive, surely," said Lydia. "Mr. Melrose told Doctor
Undershaw that he had no relations in the world, and didn't wish to be
troubled with any."

Contempt sat on Tatham's ruddy countenance.

"Well, as far as we're concerned, he may take it easy. His family
affections don't matter to anybody! But the way he behaves as a landowner
does really matter to all of us. He brings disgrace on the whole show."

He rose, straightening his young shoulders as he spoke. Lydia noted the
modest involuntary consciousness of power and responsibility which for a
moment dignified the boyish countenance; and as her eyes met his Tatham
was startled by the passionate approval expressed in the girl's look.

She asked if there was no agent on the Melrose estates to temper the
tyrannies of their master.

Tatham came to her side--explaining--looking down upon her with an
eagerness which had but a superficial connection with the thing said.

"You see no decent man would ever stay with him. He'd never do the things
Melrose does. He'd cut his hand off first. And if he didn't, the old
villain would kick him out in no time. But that's enough about him, isn't
it? I get him on the brain! Won't you come and see the pictures?"

* * * * *

The quartet inspecting the house had passed through the principal rooms,
and had returned to the drawing-room. There Tatham said something to
Lydia, and they moved away together. His mother looked after them. Tatham
was leading the way toward the door in the farther wall which led to his
own sitting-room. Their young faces were turned toward each other. The
girl's shyness seemed to have broken up. She was now talking fast, w