ooked in getting the room ready.

This spacious but somewhat gloomy apartment was hung round with
portraits of the Caresfoots of past ages, many of which bore a marked
resemblance to Philip, but amongst whom he looked in vain for one in
the slightest degree like Angela, whose handiwork he recognized in two
large bowls of flowers placed upon the dark oak dressing-table.

Just as Jakes had finished unbuckling his portmanteau, a task that he
had undertaken with some groaning, and was departing in haste, lest he
should be asked to do something else, Arthur caught sight of the
trestles.

"What are those?" he asked, cheerfully.

"Coffin-stools," was the abrupt reply.

"Coffin-stools!" ejaculated Arthur, feeling that it was unpleasant to
have little details connected with one's latter end brought thus
abruptly into notice. "What the deuce are they doing here?"

"Brought to put the last as slept in that 'ere bed on, and stood ever
since."

"Don't you think," insinuated Arthur, gently, "that you had better
take them away?"

"Can't do so; they be part of the furniture, they be--stand there all
handy for the next one, too, maybe you;" and he vanished with a
sardonic grin.

Jakes did not submit to the indignities of unbuckling portmanteaus and
having his legs sniffed at by bull-dogs for nothing. Not by any means
pleased by suggestions so unpleasant, Arthur took his way downstairs,
determined to renew the coffin-stool question with his host. He found
Angela waiting for him in the hall, and making friends with Aleck.

"Will you come in and see my father for a minute before we go out?"
she said.

Arthur assented, and she led the way into the study, where Philip
always sat, the same room in which his father had died. He was sitting
at a writing-table as usual, at work on farm accounts. Rising, he
greeted Arthur civilly, taking, however, no notice of his daughter,
although he had not seen her since the previous day.

"Well, Heigham, so you have made up your mind to brave these barbarous
wilds, have you? I am delighted to see you, but I must warn you that,
beyond a pipe and a glass of grog in the evening, I have not much time
to put at your disposal. We are rather a curious household. I don't
know whether Angela has told you, but for one thing we do not take our
meals together, so you will have to make your choice between the
dining-room and the nursery, for my daughter is not out of the nursery
yet;" and he gave a little