fragrance and sombre light, and the
deep hush reigning within, both awed and delighted him. Then there
were days of storm and mist which could only be spent in his chamber
or in the library.

Uncle Richard was generally as silent and stern as ever, and sometimes
chilled the boy's heart with his coldness, and sometimes touched it by
his prolonged and heavy sadness. Noll found more ways than one to make
his affection known, and even when his uncle was stern almost to
harshness, found some excuse for his unkindness in his warm heart,
thinking that all would come right at last, and Uncle Richard lose his
coldness and be as kind and regardful as he could wish. Only once did
he lose his temper and rebel, and for this Noll repented heartily as
soon as it was done. He went into the library one afternoon and asked
permission to go around to Culm and climb up to the gulls' nests on
Wind Cliff. He had explored every nook of the Rock, and this was a
pleasure which he had reserved till the last, and, though not quite
confident of being successful in an attempt to scale the precipitous
cliff, yet he was eager and anxious enough to make the trial. Trafford
was in one of his gloomiest moods, and replied, sternly,--

"You would like to break your neck, I suppose, sir, and give me the
pleasure of seeing you brought home bruised and bleeding! No, you
shall not go near Wind Cliff!"

The angry color came into Noll's face in an instant. "I believe it
_would_ be a pleasure for you to see me brought home with a broken
neck!" he cried, impetuously; "and oh, I wish I were back in Hastings,
where somebody cared for me!" And with this Noll hurried out of the
library, slamming the door behind him.

Trafford heard these words with astonishment; then, as his nephew's
footsteps died away along the hall, he covered his face and sighed
heavily.

"Ah," he thought, "I did it for his good; yet--the boy distrusts me.
He can't know what I would be to him if I could; how can he? He thinks
me cold and unloving, and--well, he has reason to."

Hardly had ten minutes elapsed before the door swung softly open, and
Noll re-entered. Trafford did not look up, did not hear him, in fact,
and presently was startled by a voice saying, brokenly,--

"Uncle Richard!"

Then he looked up. Noll stood before him with downcast eyes and a
trembling lip.

"Well?" said Trafford, speaking neither with coldness nor yet with
kindness.

"I--I--I didn't