ing its
tranquillity. "You know me. But I don't know you," he answered at last,
with a jerk of his reins.

"Be in no hurry," said the other, mildly; "the weather is fine, and time
plentiful. I hope to have much pleasant knowledge of you. I have the
honour to be your first cousin, Erle Twemlow. Shake hands with your
kinsman."

Carne offered his hand, but without his usual grace and self-possession.
Twemlow took it in his broad brown palm, in which it seemed to melt
away, firm though it was and muscular.

"I was going up to call on you," said Twemlow, who had acquired a
habit of speaking as if he meant all the world to hear. "I feel a deep
interest in your fortunes, and hope to improve them enormously. You
shall hear all about it when I come up. I have passed four years in the
wilds of Africa, where no white man ever trod before, and I have found
out things no white man knows. We call those people savages, but they
know a great deal more than we do. Shall I call to-morrow, and have a
long talk?"

"I fear," replied Carne, who was cursing his luck for bringing this
fellow home just now, "that I shall have no time for a week or two. I
am engaged upon important business now, which will occupy my whole
attention. Let me see! You are staying at the rectory, I suppose. The
best plan will be for me to let you know when I can afford the pleasure
of receiving you. In a fortnight, or three weeks at the latest--"

"Very well. I am never in a hurry. And I want to go to London to see
about my things. But I dare say you will not object to my roving about
the old castle now and then. I loved the old place as a boy, and I know
every crick and cranny and snake-hole in it."

"How glad they must have been to see you--restored from the dead,
and with such rich discoveries! But you must be more careful, my good
cousin, and create no more anxiety. Glad as I shall be to see you,
when time allows that indulgence, I must not encourage you to further
rovings, which might end in your final disappearance. Two boar-hounds,
exceedingly fierce and strong, and compelled by my straitened
circumstances to pick up their own living, are at large on my premises
night and day, to remonstrate with my creditors. We fear that they ate
a man last night, who had stolen a valuable picture, and was eager for
another by the same distinguished artist. His boots and hat were found
unhurt; but of his clothes not a shred remained, to afford any
pattern for enquiry