till defensive and offended. 'I thought my uncle
would teach the rascal how to speak to me.'

'I'll tell you what, Herbert, if you take that line with good old
servants, who are only doing their duty, you won't have a happy time of
it here. I suppose you wish to take your place as a gentleman. Well,
the greatest sign of a gentleman is to be courteous and well-behaved to
all about him.'

'He wasn't courteous or well-behaved to me.'

'No, because you did not show yourself such a gentleman as he has been
used to. If you acted like a tramp or a poacher, no wonder he thought
you one'; then, after a pause, 'You will find that much of your pleasure
in sport depends on the keepers, and that it would be a great
disadvantage to be on bad terms with them, so I strongly advise you, on
every account, to treat them with civility, and put out of your head that
there is any dignity in being rude.'

Herbert liked Miss Morton, and had been impressed as well as kindly
treated by her, and though he sulked now, there was an after-effect.

CHAPTER X
COMING HONOURS

With great trepidation did Mary Marshall set forth on her visit to Coles
Kenton. She had made up her mind--and a determined mind it could be on
occasion--that on it should turn her final acceptance of her twenty
years' lover.

Utterly inexperienced as she was, even in domestic, not to say high life,
she had perhaps an exaggerated idea, alike of its requirements and of her
own deficiencies; and she was resolved to use her own judgment, according
to her personal experience, whether she should be hindrance or help to
him whom she loved too truly and unselfishly to allow herself to be made
the former.

She was glad that for the first few days she should not see him, and
should thus be less distracted and biased, but it was with a sinking
heart that she heard that Lady Kenton had called to take her up in the
carriage. Grateful as she was for the kindness, which saved her the
dreariness of a solitary arrival, she was a strange mixture of resolution
and self-distrust, of moral courage and timidity, as had been shown by
her withstanding all Miss Lang's endeavours to make her improve her dress
beyond what was absolutely necessary for the visit, lest it should be
presuming on the future.

Lady Kenton had a manner such as to smooth away shyness, and, with tact
that perceived with what kind of nature she had to deal, managed to make
the tea-table serve only as a rene