arn if he was to conform to aristocratic manners,
and Herbert under his breath hung aristocratic manners, and added that he
was not to be bored, at any rate, till he was a lord; and then to salve
any shock to his visitor, proceeded to say that his yacht should be the
_Rose_, and invite her to a voyage.

'Certainly not till you can behave yourself,' replied Rose; and there was
a general titter among the young people.

CHAPTER III
WHAT IS HONOUR?

'Here is a bit of news for you,' said Sir Edward Kenton, as, after a
morning of work with his agent, both came in to the family luncheon.
'Mr. Burford tells me that the Northmoor title has descended on his
agent, Morton.'

'That stick!' exclaimed George, the son and heir.

'Not altogether a stick, Mr. Kenton,' said the bald-headed gentlemanly
agent. 'He is very worthy and industrious!'

Frederica Kenton and her brother looked at each other as if this
character were not inconsistent with that of a stick.

'Poor man!' said their mother. 'Is it not a great misfortune to him?'

'I should think him sensible and methodical,' said Sir Edward. 'By the
way, did you not tell me that it was his diligence that discovered the
clause to which our success was owing in the Stockpen suit?'

'Yes, Sir Edward, through his indefatigable diligence in reading over
every document connected with the matter. I take shame to myself,' he
added, smiling, 'for it was in a letter that I had read and put aside,
missing that passage.'

'Then I am under great obligations to him?' said Sir Edward.

'I could also tell of what only came to my knowledge many years later,
and not through himself, of attempts made to tamper with his integrity,
and gain private information from him which he had steadily baffled.'

'There must be much in him,' said Lady Kenton, 'if only he is not
spoilt!'

'I am afraid he is heavily weighted,' said Mr. Burford. 'His brother's
widow and children are almost entirely dependent on him, more so, in my
opinion, than he should have allowed.'

'Exactly what I should expect from such a sheep,' said George Kenton.

'There is this advantage,' said the lawyer, 'it has prevented his
marrying.'

'At least that fatal step has been averted,' said the lady, smiling.

'But unluckily there is an entanglement, an endless engagement to a
governess at Miss Lang's.'

'Oh,' cried Freda, who once, during a long absence of the family abroad,
had been disposed of at Miss Lang'