to Madeline Hall, as fit company for you? No; so, madam, depend
upon it, Captain Keene is a Delmar, and no wonder his lordship is so
fond of him, madam; for he is his only child, and I dare say his
lordship would give him his right hand if he could leave him the barony
and estates, instead of them going away, as they will, to his younger
brother's children."

"Well, well, Phillis, it may be so. I don't know what to think of it.
I shall speak to Lord de Versely about it; for if Captain Keene is a
Delmar, he must be looked to. He is a Delmar, although with the bar
sinister. I feel a little cold, Phillis, so drag me to the terrace,
that I may get a little sunshine."

Phillis, I thank thee, said I to myself, as the chair wheeled away.
Your love of chatting may be useful to me. Perhaps his lordship may now
acknowledge my birth to his aunt, and good may come of it. I waited
till the chair wheels were heard on the gravel walk, and then quitted
the grotto, and bent my steps away from the Hall, that I might commune
with my own thoughts without chance of interruption.

I had quitted the park, and was now pacing over several fields, one
after another, walking as if I had some important business in hand, when
in fact, my legs were only trying to keep pace with my thoughts, when I
vaulted over a gate, and found myself in a narrow lane, sunk deep
between two hedges. Indifferent as to the path I took, I turned to the
right, and continued on my way, walking as fast as before, when I heard
the low bellowing of an animal. This induced me to raise my eyes, and I
witnessed a curious scene in front of me, which I will narrate in the
next chapter.

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.

As I said before, the lane was very narrow, not admitting more than one
vehicle to go along it, and was sunk between the hedges on each side, so
as to render it not very easy to climb up the bank. The parties who
presented themselves were, first a cow with her tail turned towards me,
evidently a wicked one, as she was pawing and bellowing in a low tone,
and advancing towards two people who were the object of her attack. One
was a very little man, dressed in black, the other a stout burly young
fellow in a shooting-jacket; but what amused me most was, that the stout
young fellow, instead of being in the advance to defend one so much
smaller than himself, not only kept behind the little man, but actually
now and then held him by the shoulders before his own p