gentleman, who can accommodate
himself to every circumstance, and is neither too fine nor too
fastidious for anything, which comes in his way.

Ralph, who was the grave-eyed student of the brothers, could not resist
Gilbert's genial interest in his history of his success at the school at
Exeter, where he was pursuing his education at one of the academies for
young gentlemen, which are now a thing of the past.

Bunny and Harry buried him in the hay and nearly smothered him, and
Piers found abundant cause for liking him in the attention he gave to
the peculiarities of an insect which he had found under one of the
haycocks. Melville was lazily indifferent to what was passing, but he
liked to lie full length under a spreading oak by the hedge, and have
his tea brought to him in a large mug with a coppery coloured, brilliant
surface which blazed in the light and concentrated the rays in a mimic
sun on its outer side.

What Mrs. Falconer called 'harvest-cakes' were freely dispersed with
cider and mead, and the fields of Fair Acres had never seen a happier
party collected at hay-making time than met there on this June day.

Pip and Nip, exhausted with romping and hunting for field-mice, lay
close to Melville; and Duke, with his wise head erect, despising rest
while his master was astir, surveyed the whole scene with lofty
indifference, which rivalled Melville's.

It was about five o'clock when the unusual sound of wheels was heard in
the road leading up to the house, and the squire, who was in the further
part of the field, said:

"There's a carriage driving up! I think it is Mrs. More's."

"Mrs. More!" exclaimed Mrs. Falconer, sharply. "I hoped I had heard the
last of the dairy-maid."

Joyce, who was at that moment seated on a haycock, with her rake thrown
carelessly at her side, sprang up. "Did you say Mrs. More's carriage,
father? Oh, I am afraid--" She stopped.

"Afraid of what?" Gilbert Arundel asked.

"Oh, nothing; only Aunt Letitia said Mrs. More wanted to see me, or,
rather, know me. Mother does not like Mrs. More, and Mrs. More thinks
her very careless about the maids' education, just as Aunt Letitia
thinks she is careless about mine; here comes Sarah."

"If you please, ma'am, I was to say Mrs. More wished you to come and
speak to her. She won't get out of the carriage, because her legs are
too stiff."

"Come, my dear," the squire said, "make haste, and go round to the front
door."

"Not I. I shall n