ould bring him. And so, after the manner of weak man, he
sat down and wrote a line, accepting.

Dick stole half an hour to go with Nell to meet him at the station, and
Dick's hearty greeting and Nell's smile brought the blood to his face
and made the thin hand he gave them tremble.

"The fact is, we couldn't get on without the violin--brought it? That's
all right. Because if you hadn't, you'd be sent back for it, young man.
Pretty country, isn't it? All belongs to our young swell. I say 'our,'
because we feel as if we'd got a kind of share in him, as if he belonged
to us. You'll hear nothing but 'Lord Angleford,' 'the earl,' all day
long here; and you'll speedily come to our conviction, that the earth,
or this particular corner of it, with all that it contains, man, woman,
and child, birds, beasts, and fishes, was made for his lordship's
special behoof. Nice little place--kind of fishing box, isn't it?" he
said, nodding to the vast pile as it came in sight. "That's where I
spend my laborious days, putting on water for his lordship to drink and
wash with, and setting up electric light for his lordship to shave
himself by, though I suppose his lordship's valet does that. And what
price the lodge? For this is our residence pro tem."

Falconer was almost speechless with delight and happiness; his dark eyes
glowed with a steady light, which grew brighter and deeper whenever they
rested on Nell's beautiful face.

His obvious happiness reflected itself on her mood, and it was a merry
trio which sat down to the simple dinner, that, simple as it was, seemed
luxurious to the fare which he had left behind at Beaumont Buildings.

After dinner he got out his violin and played for them.

Dick sprawled on the sofa, and Nell leaned back in her cozy chair with
some useful and necessary darning, and--with unconscious
cruelty--thought of Drake and Shorne Mills, as the exquisite strains
filled the tiny room.

Some of the workmen, as they tramped by from their overtime, paused to
listen, and nodded to each other approvingly, and carried the news to
the village that "a swell musician fellow" was on a visit at the lodge;
and the next day, when Nell walked through the village, with Falconer by
her side, carrying her basket, the good folk eyed his pale face and long
hair with awed curiosity and interest, and then, when the couple had
passed, exchanged winks and significant smiles, none of which Nell saw,
or, if she had seen, would, in he