ir very short, and had no beard whatever. His features
were hard, and on one cheek he had a cicatrice, the remains of some
misfortune that had happened to him in his boyhood. But in spite of his
ugliness,--for he was ugly, there was much about him in his gait and
manner that claimed attention. Lord Scroope, the moment that he saw him,
felt that he ought not to be called Jack. Indeed the Earl was almost
afraid of him, and so after a time was the Countess. "Jack ought to have
been the eldest," Fred had said to his aunt.

"Why should he have been the eldest?"

"Because he is so much the cleverest. I could never have got into the
Engineers."

"That seems to be a reason why he should be the youngest," said Lady
Scroope.

Two or three other people arrived, and the house became much less
dull than was its wont. Jack Neville occasionally rode his brother's
horses, and the Earl was forced to acknowledge another mistake. The
mother was very silent, but she was a lady. The young Engineer was not
only a gentleman,--but for his age a very well educated gentleman, and
Lord Scroope was almost proud of his relatives. For the first week the
affair between Fred Neville and Miss Mellerby really seemed to make
progress. She was not a girl given to flirting,--not prone to outward
demonstrations of partiality for a young man; but she never withdrew
herself from her intended husband, and Fred seemed quite willing to
be attentive. Not a word was said to hurry the young people, and Lady
Scroope's hopes were high. Of course no allusion had been made to those
horrid Irish people, but it did not seem to Lady Scroope that the heir
had left his heart behind him in Co. Clare.

Fred had told his aunt in one of his letters that he would stay three
weeks at Scroope, but she had not supposed that he would limit himself
exactly to that period. No absolute limit had been fixed for the visit
of Mrs. Neville and her younger son, but it was taken for granted that
they would not remain should Fred depart. As to Sophie Mellerby, her
visit was elastic. She was there for a purpose, and might remain all the
winter if the purpose could be so served. For the first fortnight Lady
Scroope thought that the affair was progressing well. Fred hunted three
days a week, and was occasionally away from home,--going to dine with
a regiment at Dorchester, and once making a dash up to London; but his
manner to Miss Mellerby was very nice, and there could be no doubt but
th