r balance. And, again, in one of the great
Alpine passes, I have watched the Swiss eagle--the Lammergeyer--rise
from low down and begin sailing round and round, hardly beating with his
wings, but always rising higher and higher in a vast spiral, till he was
above the mountain-tops which walled in the sides of the valley. Then I
have seen him sail right away. There is something more in nature
connected with flight, which we have not yet discovered. I will not say
that we never shall, for science is making mighty strides. There," he
added, merrily, "end of the lecture. Let's go out in the open air."

Vane sighed.

"I came from London, my boy, where all the air seems to be second-hand.
Out here on this slope of the wolds, the breeze gives one life and
strength. Take me for a walk, out in the woods, say, it will do me
good, and make me forget the worries and cares of life."

"Are you inventing something?"

Mr Deering gave the lad a sharp look, and nodded his head.

"May I ask what, sir?"

"No, my boy, you may not," said Mr Deering, sadly. "Perhaps I am going
straightway on the road to disappointment and failure; but I must go on
now. Some day you will hear. Now take me where I can breathe. Oh, you
happy young dog!" he cried merrily. "What a thing it is to be a boy!"

"Is it?" said Vane, quietly.

"Yes, it is. And you, sir, think to yourself, like the blind young mole
you are, what a great thing it is to be a man. There, come out into the
open air, and let's look at nature; I get very weary sometimes of art."

Vane looked wonderingly at his new friend and did not feel so warmly
toward him as he had a short time before, but this passed off when they
were in the garden, where he admired the doctor's fruit, waxed eloquent
over the apples and pears, and ate one of the former with as much
enjoyment as a boy.

He was as merry as could be, too, and full of remarks as the doctor's
Jersey cow and French poultry were inspected, but at his best in the
woods amongst the gnarled old oaks and great beeches, seeming never
disposed to tire.

That night Mr Deering had a very long consultation with the doctor; and
Vane noted that his aunt looked very serious indeed, but she said
nothing till after breakfast the next morning, when their visitor had
left them for town, and evidently in the highest spirits.

"Let that boy go on with his whims, doctor," he said aloud, in Vane's
hearing. "He had better waste a little m