restore my wasted energies,
and possibly to heal (observe, I say possibly) my wounded affections in
the intimacy of my family circle. That reminds me that that little
ungrateful imp Molly has not yet made the slightest demonstration of joy
at my arrival. Where is she?" and without waiting for an answer, which
he was well aware would not be forthcoming, Charles rose and strolled
towards the house with his hands behind his back.

"Molly!" he called, "Molly!" standing bareheaded in the sunshine, under
a certain latticed window, the iron bars of which suggested a nursery
within.

There was a sudden answering cackle of delight, and a little brown head
was thrust out amid the ivy.

"Come down this very moment, you little hard-hearted person, and embrace
your old uncle."

"I'm comin', Uncle Charles, I'm comin';" and the brown head disappeared,
and a few seconds later a white frock and two slim black legs rushed
round the corner, and Molly precipitated herself against the waistcoat
of "Uncle Charles."

"What do you mean by not coming down and paying your respects sooner?"
he said, when the first enthusiasm of his reception was over, looking
down at Molly with a great kindness in the keen light eyes which had
looked so apathetic and sarcastic a moment before.

As he spoke, Ralph Danvers, a square, ruddy man in gray knickerbockers,
came triumphantly round from the shrubbery, holding by its tail a minute
corpse with out-stretched arms and legs.

"Got him!" he said, smiling, and wiping his brow with honest pride.
"See, Charles? See, Molly? Got him!"

"Don't bring it here, Ralph, please. We are going to have tea," came
Evelyn's gentle voice from the lawn; and Ralph and the terrier Vic
retired to hang the body of the slain upon a fir-tree on the back
premises, the recognized long home of stoats and weasels at Atherstone.

Molly, in the presence of Lady Mary and the stick with the silver crook,
was always more or less depressed and shy. She felt the pale cold eye of
that lady was upon her, as indeed it generally was, if she moved or
spoke. She did not therefore join in the conversation as freely as was
her wont in the family circle, but sat on the grass by her uncle,
watching him with adoring eyes, trying to work the signet ring off his
big little finger, which in the memory of man--of Molly, I mean--had
never been known to work off, while she gave him the benefit of small
pieces of local and personal news in a half whisper