solemnly holding out his hand.

"I might have expected that!" ejaculated Dermot, while Harold took the
offered hand with a smile, and a mutter in his beard of "I am very
glad."

"I'll just send a line to satisfy my mother," said Dermot, taking a pen
from the inkstand on the hall-table. "Joe's here with the sleigh, and
we must telegraph to George St. Glear."

Lord Erymanth repeated the name in some amazement, for he was not
particularly fond of his heir.

"Hogg telegraphed to him this morning," and as the uncle observed,
"Somewhat premature," he went on: "Poor Hogg was beside himself; he
came to Arked at ten o'clock last night to look for you, and, luckily,
I was there, so we've been hallooing half the night along the line, and
then getting men together in readiness for the search as soon as it was
light. I must be off to stop them at once. I came in to get the
Alisons' help--never dreamt of such a thing as finding you here. And,
after all, I don't understand--how did you come?"

"I cannot give you a detailed account," said his lordship. "Mr. Harold
Alison roused me from a drowsiness which might soon, very probably,
have been fatal, and brought me here. I have no very distinct
recollection of the mode, and I fear I must have been a somewhat
helpless and encumbering burthen."

Dora put in her oar. "Harry can carry anything," she said; "he brought
you in so nicely on his back--just as I used to ride."

"On his back!"

"Yes," said Dora, who was fond of Mr. Tracy, and glad to impart her
information, "on his back, with his boots sticking out on each side, so
funnily!"

Lord Erymanth endeavoured to swallow the information suavely by the
help of a classical precedent, and said, with a gracious smile, "Then I
perceive we must have played the part of AEneas and Anchises--" But
before he had got so far, the idea had been quite too much for Dermot,
who cried out, "Pick-a-back! With his boots sticking out on both
sides! Thank you, Dora. Oh! my uncle, pick-a-back!" and went off in
an increasing, uncontrollable roar of laughter, while Harold, with a
great tug to his moustache, observed apologetically to Lord Erymanth,
"It was the only way I could do it," which speech had the effect of so
prolonging poor Dermot's mirth, that all the good effect of the feeling
he had previously displayed for his uncle was lost, and Lord Erymanth
observed, in his most dry and solemn manner, "There are some people who
can see nothing