he was a visitor whom his uncle would be glad to see.

The stranger was looking searchingly at him, and he spoke at once:--

"You are the nephew, I suppose?"

Vane looked at him wonderingly.

"Yes, I thought so. Father and mother dead, and the doctor bringing you
up. Lucky fellow! Here, what does this mean?" and he pointed to the
rule.

"I was measuring," said Vane, colouring.

"Ah! Thought you were to be a clergyman or a doctor. Going to be a
carpenter?"

"No," replied Vane sharply, and feeling full of resentment at being
questioned so by a stranger. "I was measuring the walls."

"What for?" said the stranger, stepping into the greenhouse and making
the lad draw back.

"Well, if you must know, sir--"

"No, I see. Old flue worn-out;--measuring for a new one."

Vane shook his head, and, in spite of himself, began to speak out
freely, the stranger seeming to draw him.

"No; I was thinking of hot-water pipes."

"Good! Modern and better. Always go in for improvements. Use large
ones."

"Do you understand heating with hot-water, sir?"

"A little," said the stranger, smiling. "Where are you going to make
your furnace?"

"I wasn't going to make one."

"Going to do it with cold hot-water then?" said the stranger, smiling
again.

"No, of course not. The kitchen-fireplace is through there," said Vane,
pointing with his rule, "and I want to put a boiler in, so that the one
fire will answer both purposes."

"Good! Excellent!" said the stranger sharply. "Your own idea?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do it, then, as soon as you can--before the winter. Now take me in to
your uncle."

Vane looked at him again, and now with quite a friendly feeling for the
man who could sympathise with his plans.

He led the stranger to the front door, and was about to ask him his
name, when the doctor came out of his little study.

"Ah, Deering," he said quietly, "how are you? Who'd have thought of
seeing you."

"Not you, I suppose," said the visitor quietly. "I was at Lincoln on
business, and thought I would come round your way as I went back to
town."

"Glad to see you, man: come in. Vane, lad, find your aunt, and tell her
Mr Deering is here."

"Can't see that I'm much like him," said Vane to himself, as he went in
search of his aunt, and saw her coming downstairs.

"Here's Mr Deering, aunt," he said, "and uncle wants you."

"Oh, dear me!" cried Aunt Hannah, looking troubled, and beginning to
arrange her co