"

"Why did you walk so far this hot afternoon, my dear? and how are Mrs.
Danvers and Lady Mary? and is any one else staying there? and, my dear,
_are_ the dolls finished?"

"They are," said Ruth. "They are all outrageously fashionable. Even
Molly is satisfied. There is to be a school-feast here to-morrow," she
added, turning to Dare, who appeared bewildered at the turn the
conversation was taking. "All our energies for the last fortnight have
been brought to bear on dolls. We have been dressing dolls morning,
noon, and night."

"When is it to be, this school-feast?" said Dare, eagerly. "I will buy
one--three dolls!"

After a lengthy explanation from Mrs. Alwynn as to the nature of a
school-feast as distinct from a bazaar, Ruth rose to go, and Mr. Alwynn
offered to accompany her part of the way.

"And so that is the new Mr. Dare about whom we have all been
speculating," she said, as they strolled across the fields together. "He
is not like his half-brother."

"No; he seems to be entirely a Frenchman. You see, he was educated
abroad, and that makes a great difference. He was a very nice little boy
twenty years ago. I hope he will turn out well, and do his duty by the
place."

The neighboring property of Vandon, with its tumble-down cottages, its
neglected people, and hard agent, were often in Mr. Alwynn's thoughts.

"Oh, Uncle John, he will, he must! You must help him and advise," said
Ruth, eagerly. "He ought to stay and live on the place, and look into
things for himself."

"I am afraid he will be poor," said Mr. Alwynn, meditatively.

"Anyhow, he will be richer than he was before," urged Ruth, "and it is
his duty to do something for his own people."

When Ruth had said it was a duty, she imagined, like many another young
soul before her, that nothing remained to be said, having yet to learn
how much beside often remained to be done.

"We shall see," said Mr. Alwynn, who had seen something of his
fellow-creatures; and they walked on together in silence.

The person whose duty Ruth had been discussing so freely looked after
the two retreating figures till they disappeared, and then turned to
Mrs. Alwynn.

"You and Mr. Alwynn also go to the school-feast to-morrow?"

Mrs. Alwynn, a little nettled, explained that of course she went, that
it was her _own_ school-feast, that Mrs. Thursby, at the Hall, had
nothing to do with it. (Dare did not know who Mrs. Thursby was, but he
listened with great attention.