aid; "a great deal.
I----"

"Oh," said Fauntleroy; "I only wrote the letter. It was my grandfather
who did it. But you know how he is about always being good to everybody.
Is Mrs. Higgins well now?"

Higgins looked a trifle taken aback. He also was somewhat startled at
hearing his noble landlord presented in the character of a benevolent
being, full of engaging qualities.

"I--well, yes, your lordship," he stammered, "the missus is better since
the trouble was took off her mind. It was worrying broke her down."

"I'm glad of that," said Fauntleroy. "My grandfather was very sorry
about your children having the scarlet fever, and so was I. He has had
children himself. I'm his son's little boy, you know."

Higgins was on the verge of being panic-stricken. He felt it would be
the safer and more discreet plan not to look at the Earl, as it had been
well known that his fatherly affection for his sons had been such that
he had seen them about twice a year, and that when they had been ill,
he had promptly departed for London, because he would not be bored with
doctors and nurses. It was a little trying, therefore, to his lordship's
nerves to be told, while he looked on, his eyes gleaming from under his
shaggy eyebrows, that he felt an interest in scarlet fever.

"You see, Higgins," broke in the Earl with a fine grim smile, "you
people have been mistaken in me. Lord Fauntleroy understands me. When
you want reliable information on the subject of my character, apply to
him. Get into the carriage, Fauntleroy."

And Fauntleroy jumped in, and the carriage rolled away down the green
lane, and even when it turned the corner into the high road, the Earl
was still grimly smiling.

VIII

Lord Dorincourt had occasion to wear his grim smile many a time as
the days passed by. Indeed, as his acquaintance with his grandson
progressed, he wore the smile so often that there were moments when
it almost lost its grimness. There is no denying that before Lord
Fauntleroy had appeared on the scene, the old man had been growing very
tired of his loneliness and his gout and his seventy years. After so
long a life of excitement and amusement, it was not agreeable to sit
alone even in the most splendid room, with one foot on a gout-stool,
and with no other diversion than flying into a rage, and shouting at
a frightened footman who hated the sight of him. The old Earl was too
clever a man not to know perfectly well that his servants detes