sions Tamar always took in his coffee and
toast, and set it before him, and she generally had the pleasure of
finding that he took what she brought him, though he seldom appeared to
be aware either of her entrance or her exit, Mrs. Margaret invariably
exclaiming when Tamar reported her reception in the study, "Lord help
him! see what it is to be a genius!"

In the meantime, the moat around Dymock's Tower was repaired and filled
up, or was fast filling up; the draw-bridge was in its place, and the
gates and walls restored; and as the neighbours said, the Tower wanted
nothing but men and provisions to enable it to stand a siege. At length,
all being pronounced ready, though no interior repairing had taken
place, the new possessor arrived, bringing with him two servants, an old
man and an old woman, and many heavy packages, which were stowed in a
cart, and lifted out by himself and his man-servant, whom he called
Jacob. This being done, he and his people were heard of no more, or
rather seen no more, being such close housekeepers, that they admitted
no one over the moat, though the man Jacob, rode to the nearest market
every week on the horse which had dragged the baggage, to bring what was
required, which, it was said, was not much more than was necessary to
keep the bodies and souls of three people together.

Numerous and strange were the speculations made by all people on the
moor upon these new tenants of Dymock's Tower, and Shanty's shed was a
principal scene of these speculations. Various were the reproaches which
were cast on the strangers, and no name was too bad for them.

"Our old Laird," one remarked, "was worth ten thousand such. As long as
he had a crust, he would divide it with any one that wanted it. Mark but
his behaviour to the poor orphan, who is now become the finest girl,
notwithstanding her dark skin, in all the country round."

Then followed speculations on the parentage of Tamar, and old Shanty
asserted that he believed her to be nothing more or less than the
daughter of the gipsy hag who had laid her at his door. Some said she
was much to good to be the child of a gipsy; and then Shanty asserted,
that the grace of God could counteract not only the nature of a child of
a vagrant of the worst description, but even that of such vagrant
himself; the Spirit of God being quick and powerful, and sharper than a
two-edged sword.

Shanty was a sort of oracle amongst his simple neighbours, and what he
sai