a rage about
something; she gave me a box on the ear."

"I suppose you deserved it, Lionel," replied I.

"Well, there may be differences of opinion about that," replied the boy.
"She went on scolding me at such a rate that I was quite astonished,
and all about nothing. She blew up cook--didn't she--blew her half up
the chimney--and then she was at me again. At last I could bear it no
longer, and I said, `Don't flare up, my lady.'"

"`Don't my lady me,' cried she, `or I'll box your ears.'"

"Well, then, as she is always angry if you call her my lady, I thought
she was angry with me for the same reason, so I said, `Sempronia, keep
your temper,'--and didn't I get a box on the ear."

I could not help laughing at this recital of his cool impudence, the
more so as he narrated it with such an air of injured innocence.

"Indeed, Lionel," said I at last, "you well deserved the box on the ear.
If you ever quit the service of Lady R--, you will find that you must
behave with proper respect to those above you; if not, you will not
remain an hour in any other house. Lady R--is very odd and very
good-tempered, and permits more liberties than any other person would.
I will, however, tell you why Lady R--is displeased. It is because she
wishes me to go to France with her and I have refused."

"Then you are going to leave us?" inquired Lionel, mournfully.

"I suppose so," replied I.

"Then I shall go, too," said the boy. "I'm tired of it."

"But why should you go, Lionel? You may not find another situation half
so comfortable."

"I shall not seek one. I have only stayed here with the hope that I may
find out from her ladyship who and what my parents were, and she will
not tell me. I shall live by my wits, never fear; `the world's my
oyster,' as Shakespeare says, and I think I've wit enough to open it."

I had not forgotten the observations of Lady M--relative to Lionel, and
what the lad now said made me surmise that there was some mystery, and,
on examination of his countenance, there _was_ a family likeness to Lady
R--. I also called to mind her unwillingness to enter upon the subject
when I brought it up.

"But, Lionel," said I, after a pause, "what is it that makes you suppose
that Lady R--conceals who were your parents--when we last talked on the
subject, you said you had found out something--she told me that your
father was a bailiff, or steward to Sir Richard."

"Which I have proved to be false. She told