ll lies in the management and if you had the
advantages of training, PERHAPS you could even turn your height into a
grace.'

'Am I such a great lubber?' wondered Berenger; 'they did not think so at
home. No; nor did the Queen. She said I was a proper stripling! Well,
it matters the less, as I shall not stay long to need their favour; and
I'll show them there is some use in my inches in the tilt-yard. But if
they think me such a lout, what would they say to honest Philip?'

The Chevalier seemed willing to take on him the whole management of his
'fair cousin.' He inquired into the amount of the rents and dues which
old Osbert had collected and held ready to meet the young Baron's
exigencies; and which would, it seemed, be all needed to make his dress
any way presentable at court. The pearls, too, were inquired for, and
handed over by Osbert to his young Lord's keeping, with the significant
intimation that they had been demanded when the young Madame la Baronne
went to court; but that he had buried them in the orchard, and made
answer that they were not in the chateau. The contract of marriage,
which Berenger could just remember signing, and seeing signed by his
father, the King, and the Count, was not forthcoming; and the Chevalier
explained that it was in the hands of a notary at Paris. For this
Berenger was not sorry. His grandfather had desired him to master the
contents, and he thought he had thus escaped a very dry and useless
study.

He did not exactly dislike the old Chevalier de Ribaumont. The system on
which he had been brought up had not been indulgent, so that compliments
and admiration were an agreeable surprise to him; and rebuffs and
rebukes from his elders had been so common, that hints, in the delicate
dressing of the old knight, came on him almost like gracious civilities.
There was no love lost between the Chevalier and the chaplain, that was
plain; but how could there be between an ancient French courtier and
a sober English divine? However, to Mr. Adderley's great relief, no
attempts were made on Berenger's faith, his kinsman even was disposed
to promote his attendance at such Calvinist places of worship as they
passed on the road, and treated him in all things as a mere guest, to
be patronized indeed, but as much an alien as if he had been born in
England. And yet there was a certain deference to him as head of the
family, and a friendliness of manner that made the boy feel him a real
relation, and