the face, he found it repulsive. No recluse
could have been more reluctant to leave his hermitage. Major Anthony
Lyveden felt positively nervous.

Since he had been in charge the man had altered.

He, who in the old days had shouldered with a smile responsibilities
which would have set his elders sweating with apprehension, found the
light weight of Gramarye a fardel to make him stagger. This was out of
all order. Had he lain sick for a month, the work would have gone as
steadily. The truth is, he was investing the conduct of a waggoner's
team with the nicety requisite to the control of a tandem of
thoroughbreds. That Lyveden of all men in the world should make such a
costly mistake showed that his nerves were hagridden.

For all his dread of it, however, the visit to London could not
conveniently be postponed. The need of some of the items upon his
little list of accessories had become urgent, imperilling the work upon
the estate. A few hours in the Metropolis would be enough. He knew
where to go. Two addresses in the City and another in Drury Lane would
see the whole of his pilgrimage....

With a sigh, the ex-officer had locked up the safe and, leaving the
cold grey parlour, whence he administered, passed out of the echoing
mansion into the careless frolic of a fine March morning.

As he had expected, the younger of the two carters was in the stables,
and Anthony gave his order without more ado. Then he whistled to his
Sealyham and started for home.

After a wild night the unrepentant winds were full of mischief. A
monstrous dignity of fleecy clouds scudded undignified across the blue.
The precious park became a tossing waste of woodland, teased into
flurried liveliness, full of false starts and misdirection, instantly
buffeted for every blunder and bellowing good-natured protests at every
cuff. Respectable brown leaves chased one another down the tracks;
dark sober pools slapped their confining banks; the steady flow of
brooks faltered irresolute.

Nature herself being so roughly used, be sure that man and beast were
plagued unconscionably. Anthony's hat was sent whirling, and his
terrier's ears were flicked inside out at the first corner. Not that
they cared--either of them--for the sunlight leapt with a joy that took
the sting out of the horseplay and turned the edge of the devilment.
The day was as good as a tonic. By the time they had sighted their
cabin the two were revelling.

Not unt