o a perfect fury, Sir Edward turned upon
him again. "This ends everything between us, Master Rayburn," he cried.
"I have treated you as a friend, made you welcome at my table, and
allowed my son to make you a kind of companion; but now, have the
goodness to recollect that we are strangers, and if the gang from out of
the cavern yonder attack you, get out of the trouble in the best way you
can, for you will have no help from me."

"Very well," said Master Rayburn quietly.

"And now, sir, leave my place at once."

"Oh no!" said the old man quietly, as Mark looked on, scarlet with
annoyance, but feeling that he must suffer for what had happened.

"Oh no!" cried Sir Edward, aghast. "Have the goodness to explain what
you mean."

"Certainly," replied the old man. "I have not finished with this man,
and I have another to attend later on."

"Leave, sir, at once," cried Sir Edward.

"No," replied the old man quietly. "You are angry, and are saying that
which in calmer moments you will regret. Those men require my
assistance, and I must insist upon staying."

Sir Edward made an angry gesture.

"Go on, then," he cried; "finish what you have to do, and then leave at
once."

"Yes," replied Master Rayburn calmly; "but it will be necessary for me
to come day after day for quite a week. This man will need much
attention."

Sir Edward turned and walked angrily out of the place; and as if not a
word had been said, the old man went on with his task until he had
ended. Then telling the men to be of good heart, for their injuries
were none of them serious, he went to the door with Mark, whose face was
troubled and perplexed.

"There, you need not look like that, my lad," he said. "Your father's
angry now, but he'll calm down, and I don't think he will say much to
you. It is more likely that he will want to take revenge upon those
ruffians. Cheer up, my boy: I'm not angry with you for what you've
done. It was the fighting afterwards that was the unlucky part."

The old man hurried away, and Mark stood watching him descend the slope.

"Cheer up, indeed!" he muttered; "who's to cheer up at a time like this?
I wish I hadn't listened to that miserable scrub of a Darley. I always
hated him, and I might have known that associating with him would lead
me into trouble.--Well, what do you want?"

This was to Dummy Rugg, who, like his young master, had escaped without
much damage.

"Only come to talk to you, Master Mar