m in a glow of excitement. The sudden interruption of
habit had acted with stimulating power, his mind, like his home, had
shaken off some of its dust. He talked about the pictures and furniture
he had unearthed; the Latour pastels, the Gobelins in the gallery;
rambling through scenes and incidents of the past, in a vivacious,
egotistical monologue, which kept Faversham amused.

In the middle of it, however, he stopped abruptly, eying his guest.

"Can you write yet?"

"Pretty well. My arm's rather stiff."

"Make your nurse write some notes for you. That man--Undershaw--says you
must have some society--invite some people."

Faversham laughed.

"I don't know a soul, either at Keswick or Pengarth."

"There have been some people inquiring after you."

"Oh, young Tatham? Yes, I knew him at Oxford."

"And the women--who are they?"

Faversham explained.

"Miss Penfold seems to have recognized me from Undershaw's account. They
are your nearest neighbours, aren't they?" He looked smiling at his host.

"I don't know my neighbours!" said Melrose, emphatically. "But as for
that young ass, Tatham--ask him to come and see you."

"By all means--if you suggest it."

Melrose chuckled.

"But he won't come, unless he knows I am safely out of the way. He and I
are not on terms, though his mother and I are cousins. I dare say
Undershaw's told you--he's thick with them. The young man has been
insolent to me on one or two occasions. I shall have to take him down.
He's one of your popularity-hunting fools. However you ask him by all
means if you want him. He'll come to see you. Ask him Thursday. I shall
be at Carlisle for the day. Tell him so."

He paused, his dark eyeballs, over which the whites had a trick of
showing disagreeably, fixing his visitor; then added:

"And ask the women too. I shan't bite 'em. I saw them from the window
the day they came to inquire. The mother looked perfectly scared. The
daughter's good looking."

Manner and tone produced a vague irritation in Faversham. But he merely
said that he would write to Mrs. Penfold.

Two notes were accordingly despatched that evening from the Tower; one to
Duddon Castle, the other to Green Cottage. Faversham had succeeded in
writing them himself; and in the exhilaration of what seemed to him a
much-quickened convalescence, he made arrangements the following morning
to part with his nurse within a few days. "Do as you like, in
moderation," said Undershaw, "no rai