e him harm enough without this. I wish
I'd never heard of his elder brother."

The tutor, busy binding up his ward's hand, only half heard the words;
but Roger, amidst all his pain, heard it and looked up.

"Then you are not my brother?" he said faintly.

"Brother? No. And if you hadn't left the papers about in your room a
year ago I should never have known it was worth my while to pretend it."

When, a few moments later, Gustav entered with two constables, Mr
Ratman welcomed the visitors with a sigh almost of relief, and placed
himself quietly in their hands. As he passed the chair where Roger sat,
half faint with pain and loss of blood, he stopped a moment and said--

"Your brother! No. If I had been I shouldn't have come to this."

About ten days later a small party was gathered in Roger's cosy den at
Maxfield.

The young Squire was there, with his hand in a sling, still pale and
weak, but able to sit up on the sofa and enjoy for the first time the
society of a few choice friends. Among those friends it was not
surprising to find Rosalind. That young lady had recently exchanged the
duties of governess at the Vicarage for those of temporary sick-nurse at
the manor-house, and to-night, in her simple mourning, with a flush of
pleasure on her cheek as now and again she turned her eyes to the
patient whose recovery did her care such credit she looked--at least
Roger, an impartial witness, thought so--more beautiful than ever. But
as Roger made the same discovery every time he and his nurse met, the
opinion may be regarded as of relative value. Tom was there, enjoying
himself as usual, indeed rather more than usual, because in the stable
hard by, munching his oats, was a horse (the gift of the Squire) who
owned him, Tom, as lord and master. Jill was there too, a little
pensive as she looked round for some one who was not there, but trying
hard to enjoy herself and seem glad. Besides these intimates there was
Mr Headland, feeling like a father to everybody; Dr Brandram, in
professional attendance; and the Vicar himself, accidentally present to
congratulate his young parishioner on his recovery.

The absentee of the evening was Mr Armstrong, who had gone to London
the previous day on matters connected with the approaching assizes.

"I wish Armstrong was here," said Tom. "Won't he open his eye when he
sees `Crocodile'!"

"Crocodile" was the name of the horse before mentioned.

"It hardly seems like a