d all our fates. I don't
think he had realised before how love was the one thing that the
child's life hung upon, and that the boy himself must have that love
and trust. Then, too, when he had waked and dressed and come down, the
first person he met was Hester, with her hard, glittering eyes, trying
to condole, and not able to hide how the exulting look went out of her
face on hearing that the Earl (as she chose to term him) was better.

She supposed some arrangement would soon be made, and Fulk said he
should see the lawyers at once about it, and arrange for the personal
guardianship of Lord Trevorsham.

"Of course I am the only proper person while he lives, poor child," she
said.

I broke in with, "The next heir is never allowed the custody."

I wish I had not. She hastily and proudly said "What do you mean?" and
Fulk quickly added that "the Lord Chancellor would decide."

The next day he went out, and on returning came up to me in the
nursery, and called me into the study.

"Ursula," he said, "I find that, considering the circumstances, there
will be no objection made to our retaining the personal charge of our
little brother. Everyone is very kind. Ours is not a common case of
illegitimacy, and my father's well-known express wishes will be allowed
to prevail."

"And your character," I could not help saying; and he owned that it did
go for something, that he was known to everybody, and had some standing
of his own, apart from the rank he had lost.

Then he went on to say that this would of course put an end to the
emigration plan, so far as he was concerned. No doubt in the restless
desire of change coming after such a fall and disappointment it was a
great sacrifice; but as he said, "There did not seem anything left for
him in life but just to try to do what seemed most like one's duty."
And then he said it did not seem a worthy thing to do nothing, but just
exist on a confined income, and the only thing he did know anything
about, and was not too old to learn, was farming, and managing an
estate.

Trevorsham would want an agent, for old Hall was so old, that my
brother had really done all his work for a year or two past; and he had
felt his way enough to know he could get appointed to the agency, if he
chose. The house was to be let, but there was a farm to be had about
two miles off, with a good house, and he thought of taking it, and
stocking it, and turning regular farmer on his own account; wh