have things to say to me?"

"Golden things, which have to do with your happiness and mine, brother."

"Hai? A wedding-ring, sister."

"Truly, brother, if you be a true Romany and not the Gentile you call
yourself."

CHAPTER VIII.

AT MIDNIGHT.

Silver's delivery of his employer's orders to Lord Garvington were
apparently carried out, for no further intimation was given to the
gypsies that they were to vacate Abbot's Wood. The master of The Manor
grumbled a good deal at the high tone taken by his brother-in-law, as,
having the instincts of a landlord, he strongly objected to the presence
of such riff-raff on his estates. However, as Pine had the whip-hand of
him, he was obliged to yield, although he could not understand why the
man should favor the Romany in this way.

"Some of his infernal philanthropy, I suppose," said Garvington, in a
tone of disgust, to the secretary. "Pine's always doing this sort of
thing, and people ain't a bit grateful."

"Well," said Silver dryly, "I suppose that's his look-out."

"If it is, let him keep to his own side of the road," retorted the
other. "Since I don't interfere with his business, let him not meddle
with mine."

"As he holds the mortgage and can foreclose at any moment, it _is_ his
business," insisted Silver tartly. "And, after all, the gypsies are
doing no very great harm."

"They will if they get the chance. I'd string up the whole lot if I had
my way, Silver. Poachers and blackguards every one of them. I know that
Pine is always helping rotters in London, but I didn't know that he had
any cause to interfere with this lot. How did he come to know about
them?"

"Well, Mr. Lambert might have told him," answered the secretary, not
unwilling to draw that young man into the trouble. "He is at Abbot's
Wood."

"Yes, I lent him the cottage, and this is my reward. He meddles with my
business along with Pine. Why can't he shut his mouth?"

"I don't say that Mr. Lambert did tell him, but he might have done so."

"I am quite sure that he did," said Garvington emphatically, and growing
red all over his chubby face. "Otherwise Pine would never have heard,
since he is in Paris. I shall speak to Lambert."

"You won't find him at home. I looked in at his cottage to pass the
time, and his housekeeper said that he had gone to London all of a
sudden, this very evening."

"Oh, he'll turn up again," said Garvington carelessly. "He's sick of
town, Silver, since--" The