d, saying:

"Good-morning, my boy; I am glad to see you; draw up your chair to the
table. Children, take your places. Mr. Middleton, we have been waiting
for you."

"I know you have, my dear, but cold lunch don't grow colder by standing;
if it does, so much the better this warm weather."

"I have been taking a walk with my young friend here," said the
gentleman, as he took his seat.

Ishmael followed his example, but not before he had quietly shaken hands
with Beatrice.

At luncheon Mr. Middleton spoke of his plan, that Ishmael should come
every day during the holidays to pursue his studies as usual in the
schoolroom.

"You know he cannot read to any advantage in the little room where
Hannah is always at work," explained Mr. Middleton.

"Oh, no! certainly not," agreed his wife.

The family were all pleased that Ishmael was still to come.

"But, my boy, I think you had better not set in again until Monday. A
few days of mental rest is absolutely necessary after the hard reading
of the last few months. So I enjoin you not to open a classbook before
next Monday."

As Mrs. Middleton emphatically seconded this move, our boy gave his
promise to refrain, and after luncheon was over he went and got his
books, took a respectful leave of his friends and returned home.

"Aunty," he said, as he entered the hut, where he found Hannah down on
her knees scrubbing the floor, "what do you think? Mr. Middleton and his
family are going away from the Hall. They have had warning to quit at
the end of six months."

"Ah," said Hannah indifferently, going on with her work.

"Yes; they leave on the first of February, and the owner of the place,
young Mr. Herman Brudenell, you know, is coming on to live there for
good!"

"Ah!" cried Hannah, no longer indifferently, but excitedly, as she left
off scrubbing, and fixed her keen black eyes upon the boy.

"Yes, indeed! and Mr. Middleton--oh, he is so kind--says he will mention
me to Mr Herman Brudenell."

"Oh! will he?" exclaimed Hannah, between her teeth.

"Yes; and--Mr. Herman Brudenell is a very kind gentleman, is he not?"

"Very," muttered Hannah.

"You were very well acquainted with him, were you not?"

"Yes."

"You answer so shortly, Aunt Hannah. Didn't you like young Mr. Herman
Brudenell?"

"I--don't know whether I did or not; but, Ishmael, I can't scrub and
talk at the same time. Go out and chop me some wood; and then go and dig
some potatoes, and beets, and cut