ncle mechanically.

"Four."

"Four what?" asked Sir Nathaniel.

"Snakes," said Adam, helping himself to a grilled kidney.

"Four snakes. I don't understand."

"Mongoose," said Adam, and then added explanatorily: "I was out with the
mongoose just after three."

"Four snakes in one morning! Why, I didn't know there were so many on
the Brow"--the local name for the western cliff. "I hope that wasn't the
consequence of our talk of last night?"

"It was, sir. But not directly."

"But, God bless my soul, you didn't expect to get a snake like the
Lambton worm, did you? Why, a mongoose, to tackle a monster like that--if
there were one--would have to be bigger than a haystack."

"These were ordinary snakes, about as big as a walking-stick."

"Well, it's pleasant to be rid of them, big or little. That is a good
mongoose, I am sure; he'll clear out all such vermin round here," said
Mr. Salton.

Adam went quietly on with his breakfast. Killing a few snakes in a
morning was no new experience to him. He left the room the moment
breakfast was finished and went to the study that his uncle had arranged
for him. Both Sir Nathaniel and Mr. Salton took it that he wanted to be
by himself, so as to avoid any questioning or talk of the visit that he
was to make that afternoon. They saw nothing further of him till about
half-an-hour before dinner-time. Then he came quietly into the smoking-
room, where Mr. Salton and Sir Nathaniel were sitting together, ready
dressed.

"I suppose there is no use waiting. We had better get it over at once,"
remarked Adam.

His uncle, thinking to make things easier for him, said: "Get what over?"

There was a sign of shyness about him at this. He stammered a little at
first, but his voice became more even as he went on.

"My visit to Mercy Farm."

Mr. Salton waited eagerly. The old diplomatist simply smiled.

"I suppose you both know that I was much interested yesterday in the
Watfords?" There was no denial or fending off the question. Both the
old men smiled acquiescence. Adam went on: "I meant you to see it--both
of you. You, uncle, because you are my uncle and the nearest of my own
kin, and, moreover, you couldn't have been more kind to me or made me
more welcome if you had been my own father." Mr. Salton said nothing. He
simply held out his hand, and the other took it and held it for a few
seconds. "And you, sir, because you have shown me something of the same
affec