ness" who had the affairs
of half the county in his hands, came to Markland to see her, and any
idea there might have been of attending to Geoff's lessons had to be
laid aside. He had to be dismissed even from his seat in the window,
where he superintended, on ordinary occasions, everything that went on.
With an internal reflection how it would have been had Theo begun his
labours, Lady Markland sent the boy away. "Take care of yourself, Geoff.
If you go out, take Bowen with you, or old Black." Bowen was the nurse,
whom Geoff felt himself to have long outgrown, and Black was an old
groom, whose company was dear to Geoff on ordinary occasions, but for
whom he felt no particular inclination to-day. The little boy went out
and took a meditative walk, his thoughts returning to the question which
had been put before them last night: Theo Warrender for his tutor, to
come daily for his lessons, and then to go away. With the unconscious
egotism of a child, Geoff would have received this as perfectly
reasonable, a most satisfactory arrangement; and indeed it appeared
to him, on thinking it over, that his mother's suggestion of a payment
in kindness was on the whole somewhat absurd. "Kindness!" Geoff said
to himself, "who's going to be unkind?" He proceeded to consider the
subject at large. After a time he slapped his little thigh, as Black did
when he was excited. "I'll tell you!" he cried to himself. "I'll offer
to go over _there_ half the time." He paused at this, for, besides the
practical proof of kindness to Theo which he felt would thus be given,
a sudden pleasure seized upon and expanded his little soul. To go over
_there_: to save Theo the trouble, and for himself to burst forth
into a new world, a universe of sensations unknown,--into freedom,
independence, self-guidance! An exhilaration and sentiment hitherto
unexperienced went up in fumes to Geoff's brain. It was scarcely noon,
a still and beautiful October day; the sky as blue as summer, the
trees all russet and gold, the air with just enough chill in it to
make breathing a keen delight. Why not now? These words, Geoff said
afterwards, came into his mind as if somebody had said them: and the
boldness and wildness of daring suggested ran through his little veins
like wine. He rather flew than ran to the stables, which were sadly
shorn of their ancient splendour, two horses and Geoff's pony being all
that remained. "Saddle me my pony, Black!" the boy cried. "Yes, Master