ing gaze
if he could be master of his own.

"If I look straightly at her my own gaze will speak, and she, who is so
shrewd of wit and has seen such worship in men's faces, will read and
understand, and disdain me, or--disdain me not. God knows which would
be worse."

The visit over, he would visit other of his estates, engage himself
with friends to be their guests in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, at
their chateaux in France or Spain--everywhere. When he was not thus
absorbed he would give himself to a statesman's work at the settling of
great questions--the more involved and difficult the better; party
enmity would be good for him, the unravelling of webs of intrigue, the
baffling of cabals would keep his thoughts in action, and leave him no
time for dreams. Yes, to mark out his days thus clearly would help him
to stand steady upon his feet--in time might aid in deadening the
burning of the wound which would not close. Above all, to Warwickshire
he would not go--Dunstan's Wolde must see him no more, and Dunstanwolde
House in town he would gradually visit less and less often, until his
kinsman ceased to expect the old familiarity, believing his many duties
kept him away. In his happiness he would have but little time to miss
him seriously, perhaps even to remember that his presence had been once
so much less rare a thing.

"'Son,' he once loved to call me," he thought, with a sharp pang. "He
is an old man, 'tis true, but Heaven may give him a son of his own."

Even as the thought crossed his mind--as a flame of lightning crosses a
black sky--he heard old Rowe begin to ring his peal, and soon--or it
seemed soon to him--the first party of arrivals wound through the park,
now and then its colours gleaming through an opening in the trees.
There were mounted and safely armed servitors riding in attendance to
guard the big travelling-coach with its six strong, finely bred horses.
In this the Earl and his Countess sate, the lady a little pale, from
the fatigue of her journey, perhaps; following them came another
vehicle, substantial but less splendid than their own equipage, in it,
my lady's two Abigails and the gentleman of his lordship carrying the
iron jewel-box secreted in a special hiding-place beneath the seat, for
the baffling of highwaymen, if any such were bold enough to attack a
party so well attended by sturdy strength and shining arms. When she
had stepped forth across the threshold of her town house, attended