ne, "I ought not to have done it,--not becoming in a
clergyman,--but the young dog was insulting you, and he was stretched
over the wall so tightly. Really--ha, ha!--it was so tempting that I
felt obliged."

"Yes, it must have been tempting," said Uncle Richard. "Well, have you
come back quite strong?"

"Seems like it," said the vicar, laughing. Then seriously, "Yes, thank
heaven, I feel quite myself again."

"That's good," said Uncle Richard. "I am very glad."

"I know you are. And oh, Brandon, you can't think how glad I am to get
back to the dear old place again. My garden looks delightful; and
yours?"

"Capital."

"But, my dear fellow, what in the world are you doing with the old mill.
I heard you had bought it. Sails gone, mended, painted. Why, surely--
yes--no--yes, I have it--observatory."

"Right."

"Splendid idea. Capital. You ought to have a big telescope for that."

"Making it," said Uncle Richard laconically.

"Glad of it. Wish I could join you. There, good-bye, so much to do;
can't tell me, I suppose, what to do with that lad Pete Warboys?"

Uncle Richard shook his head, and the vicar shook his hand. Then as he
went through the same process with Tom, he said--

"Glad to know you; I'm sure we shall be very good friends;" and then he
hurried away, and the others closed the gate and went into the workshop,
where the speculum was waiting to be ground.

"You'll like Mr Maxted," said Uncle Richard quietly. "A thorough,
true-hearted gentleman, who preserves all the best of his boyhood; but
come now, work."

"Grinding?" said Tom, stripping off his jacket.

"Not yet--elutriation, Tom," said Uncle Richard, as he led the way up to
the laboratory, where the big pan was lifted down upon the stool, and
the syphon used to pour the water in the white basin back again.

But not quite all. It was clear now, and at the bottom there was just a
film of chocolate mud, which was most carefully trickled off with some
of the water into the ready labelled little bottle.

"There, Tom, that tiny spoonful or two of paste is our finest emery, and
valuable in the extreme--to us. The next thing is to get a grade
coarser."

"The same way?" said Tom.

"Nearly. Stir the whole up again."

This was carefully done, but there was no scum now.

"We left the other sixty minutes, Tom," said Uncle Richard; "this time
we'll leave it thirty minutes. Come along; time for two quarter-hour
grinds at the specul