to escort her to the vicarage.

CHAPTER XLI.

SIR HARRY BIDES HIS TIME.

Phillis might have spared herself that little outburst to which she
had given vent on the day of her cousin's arrival. For, in spite of
the lordly way in which he had claimed his prerogative as the only
male Challoner, Sir Harry took no further steps to interfere with her
liberty: indeed, as the days and even the weeks passed away, and
nothing particular happened in them, she was even a little
disappointed.

For it is one thing to foster heroic intentions, but quite another
when one has no choice in the matter. The heroism seemed lost,
somehow, when no one took the trouble to combat her resolution.
Phillis began to tire of her work,--nay, more, to feel positive
disgust at it. The merry evenings gave her a distaste for her morning
labors, and the daylight seemed sometimes as though it would never
fade into dark, so as to give her an excuse for folding up her work.

These fits of impatience were intermittent, and she spoke of them to
no one: in other respects the new cousin brought a great deal of
brightness and pleasure into their daily life.

They all grew very fond of him. Mrs. Challoner, indeed, was soon heard
to say that she almost loved him like a son,--a speech that reached
Dick's ears by and by and made him excessively angry. "I should like
to kick that fellow," he growled, as he read the words. But then Dick
never liked interlopers. He had conceived a hatred of Mr. Drummond on
the spot. Sir Harry took up his quarters at the same hotel where Dick
and his father had spent that one dreary evening. He gave lavish
orders and excited a great deal of attention and talk by his careless
munificence. Without being positively extravagant he had a free-handed
way of spending his money: as he often said, "he liked to see things
comfortable about him." And, as his notions of comfort were somewhat
expensive, his host soon conceived a great respect for him,--all the
more that he gave himself no airs, never talked about his wealth
except to his cousins, and treated his title as though it were not of
the slightest consequence to himself or any one else; indeed, he was
decidedly modest in all matters pertaining to himself.

But, being a generous soul, he loved to give. Every few days he went
up to London, and he never returned without bringing gifts to the
Friary. Dulce, who was from the first his chief favorite, revelled in
French bonbons; ha