roaching us. I held up my hand warningly. John caught
my meaning, and instantly leaving Dorothy's side, entered an adjacent
shop. My movement had attracted Stanley's attention, and he turned in the
direction I had been looking. When he saw Dorothy, he turned again to me
and asked:--

"Is that Dorothy Vernon?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Look at her, Tod!" exclaimed my lord, "look at her, Tod! The dad was
right about her, after all. I thought the old man was hoaxing me when he
told me that she was beautiful. Holy Virgin, Tod, did you ever see
anything so handsome? I will take her quick enough; I will take her. Dad
won't need to tease me. I'm willing."

Dorothy approached to within a few yards of us, and my Lord Stanley
stepped forward to meet her.

"Ye don't know me, do ye?" said Stanley.

Dorothy was frightened and quickly stepped to my side.

"I--I believe not," responded Dorothy.

"Lord James Stanley," murmured Madge, who knew of the approaching Stanley
marriage.

"Madge is right," returned. Stanley, grinning foolishly. "I am your cousin
James, but not so much of a cousin that I cannot be more than cousin,
heh?" He laughed boisterously, and winking at Tod, thrust his thumb into
that worthy's ribs. "Say, Tod, something more than cousin; that's the
thing, isn't it, Tod?"

John was standing half-concealed at the door of the shop in which he had
sought refuge. Dorothy well knew the peril of the situation, and when I
frowned at her warningly, she caught the hint that she should not resent
Stanley's words, however insulting and irritating they might become.

"Let us go to the inn," said Dorothy.

"That's the thing to do. Let us go to the inn and have dinner," said
Stanley. "It's two hours past dinner time now, and I'm almost famished.
We'll have a famous dinner. Come, cousin," said he, addressing Dorothy.
"We'll have kidneys and tripe and--"

"We do not want dinner," said Dorothy. "We must return home at once. Sir
Malcolm, will you order Dawson to bring out the coach?"

We went to the inn parlor, and I, loath to do so, left the ladies with
Stanley and his horse-boy friend while I sought Dawson for the purpose of
telling him to fetch the coach with all haste.

"We have not dined," said the forester.

"We shall not dine," I answered. "Fetch the coach with all the haste you
can make." The bystanders in the tap-room were listening, and I continued,
"A storm is brewing, and we must hasten home."

True enough, a st