and it; never could stand being
grilled since a sunstroke I got when I was serving in India."

"Dear me, who and what does a lord serve?" broke in Miss Pitchley;
which surprised Mohunsleigh and me both so much that he stared, and I
blushed. But she didn't, though no girl under Vic's age at least would
think of cutting in like that with a stranger, at home. Mohunsleigh was
delighted to be spoken to by her, though, one could see. His eyes
brightened up, and he smiled, looking straight at her, as if she were a
new and absolutely desirable kind of rifle. I say rifle, because
Mohunsleigh is a great shot, and would rather spend his money (what he
has of it) on a new invention by way of a gun than anything else.

"Used to be in the army. I've chucked it now," he explained, affably,
beginning to look quite nice. For really, though small and wiry, with
ginger-coloured hair and moustache and no-coloured eyes, Mohunsleigh
isn't an ugly man, when you come to notice his nice, sharp features.
He's only a distant cousin of mine, and so old (he's nearly forty) that
in the first years of our acquaintance he made himself agreeable by
teaching me to ride on his foot; but I always liked him--whenever I
remembered his existence. Naturally, though, this hasn't been often, as
one of his many eccentricities is to be continually prowling at the
ends of the earth--anywhere, where there may be animals to shoot. What
kind, he doesn't seem to care, if they are only large enough. Once, he
was fond of tigers; but the last thing he had a fad for was polar
bears, and he sent mother a skin, which makes the oak room smell
strongly of camphor.

"I hope, anyhow, you're going to pay a good long visit to Newport,"
said Mrs. Pitchley.

"I meant to go back to-morrow morning," replied Mohunsleigh. "But
perhaps I might stop on a bit longer."

"We'll give you some fun," volunteered Miss Pitchley, looking
frightfully pretty.

"Will you?" said Mohunsleigh. "Jolly nice of you. I must think about
it." Then he deigned to remember that I was his little long-lost
cousin; asked when I'd arrived on this side the water, and a few other
things; but he looked more at Miss Pitchley than at me. I suppose it is
difficult to be much excited about a person who has taken riding
lessons on your foot.

Potter asked Mohunsleigh where he was staying, and when he heard it was
at an hotel, he said his sister wouldn't allow that to go on. Lord
Mohunsleigh would have to come to T