ries had been on a wilder, ruder, more violent
scale, such as made these seem tame. He did not understand mere
trifling for amusement's sake, still less how money could be thrown
away for it and for fashion, when it was so cruelly wanted by real
needs; and even Dermot was made uncomfortable by his thorough
earnestness. "It won't do in 'the village' in the nineteenth century,"
said he to me. "It is like--who was that old fellow it was said of--a
lion stalking about in a sheepfold."

"Sheep!" said I, indignantly. "I am afraid some are wolves in sheep's
clothing."

Dermot shrugged his shoulders and said, "How is one to help oneself if
one has been born some two thousand years too late, or not in the new
half-baked hemisphere where demigods still walk the earth in their
simplicity?"

"I want you not to spoil the demigod when he has walked in among you."

"I envy him too much to do that," said Dermot with a sigh.

"I believe you, Dermot, but don't take him among those who want to do
so."

"That's your faith in your demigod," said Dermot, not able to resist a
little teasing; but seeing I was really pained, he added: "No, Lucy,
I'll never take him again to meet Malvoisin and Nessy Horsman. In the
first place, I don't know how he might treat them; and in the next, I
would die sooner than give them another chance, even if he would. I
thought the men would have been struck with him as I was; but no, it is
not in them to be struck with anyone. All they think of is how to make
him like themselves."

"Comus' crew!" said I. "Oh! Dermot, how can you see it and be one of
them?"

"I'm not happy enough to be an outer barbarian," he said, and went his
way.

There was a loan exhibition of curious old objects in plate and
jewellery, to which Lady Diana took me, and where, among other things,
we found a long belt crusted thickly with scales of gold, and with a
sort of medal at the clasp.

"Just look here, mamma," said Viola; "I do believe this is the archery
prize."

And sure enough on the ticket was, "Belt, supposed to be of Peruvian
workmanship. Taken in the Spanish Armada, 1588. Champion belt at the
Northchester Archery Club. Lent by Miss Hippolyta Horsman."

Lady Diana came to look with some interest. She had never had an
opportunity of examining it closely before, and she now said, "I am
much inclined to believe that this is the belt that used to be an
heirloom in the Jerfield family, and which ought to be in