ng the sun, that hung now
lamentably high up in that enormous dome of summer sky that sat on the
fenland like a dish-cover on a dish. And as he turned southwards he
became aware of a young gentleman carrying a carpet-bag in one hand, and
a gray jacket over his other arm, coming up to him, not twenty yards
away. As he came nearer, Mr. Harris noticed that his face was badly
bruised as by a blow.

"Good morning," said the young gentleman. "Hot work."

John Harris made some observation.

"I want some work to do," said the young gentleman, disregarding the
observation. "I'm willing and capable. Do you know of any? I mean, work
that I shall be paid for. Or perhaps some breakfast would do as a
beginning."

John Harris regarded the young gentleman in silence.

CHAPTER II

(I)

Merefield Court, as every tourist knows may be viewed from ten to five
on Tuesdays and Thursdays, when the family are not in residence, and on
Tuesdays only, from two to four, when they are. It is unnecessary,
therefore, to describe it very closely.

It stands very nearly on the top of a hill, protected by woods from the
north winds of Yorkshire; and its towers and pinnacles can be seen from
ten miles away down the valley. It is built, architecturally considered,
in the form of an irregular triangular court--quite unique--with the old
barbican at the lower end; the chapel wing directly opposite; the ruins
of the old castle on the left, keep and all, and the new house that is
actually lived in on the right. It is of every conceivable date (the
housekeeper will supply details) from the British mound on which the
keep stands, to the Georgian smoking-room built by the grandfather of
the present earl; but the main body of the house, with which we are
principally concerned--the long gray pile facing south down to the
lake, and northwards into the court--is Jacobean down to the smallest
detail, and extremely good at that. It was on the end of this that the
thirteenth earl the fifteenth baron and the fourteenth viscount (one
man, not three) thought it proper to build on a Palladian kind of
smoking-room of red sandstone, brought at enormous cost from half across
England. Fortunately, however, ivy has since covered the greater part of
its exterior.

It was in this room--also used as a billiard-room--that Archie Guiseley
(Viscount Merefield), and Dick Guiseley, his first cousin, first heard
the news of Frank's intentions.

They were both dresse