certainly did think that the squire looked aged when I saw him this
morning."

"Well, you see, Mr. Bellamy, eighty-two is a good age, is it not?"
said Philip, cheerfully.

"Yes, Mr. Philip, a good age, a very good age, for the _next heir_,"
and Mr. Bellamy chuckled softly somewhere down in his throat, and
retreated a little.

"He is getting facetious," broke in George, "that marriage has done
that for him. By the way, Philip, do you know Mrs. Bellamy? she has
only been down here a fortnight, you know. What, no! Then you have a
pleasure to come" (raising his voice so that it might be heard at the
other end of the room), "a very clever woman, and as handsome as she
is clever."

"Indeed! I must ask you to introduce me presently, Mr. Bellamy. I only
recently heard that you were married."

Mr. Bellamy blushed and twisted and was about to speak, when George
cut in again.

"No, I dare say you didn't; sly dog, Bellamy; do you know what he did?
I introduced him to the lady when we were up in town together last
Christmas. I was dreadfully hard hit myself, I can assure you, and as
soon as my back was turned he went and cut me out of the water--and
turned my adored into Mrs. Bellamy."

"What are you taking my name in vain about, Mr. Caresfoot?" said a
rich, low voice behind them.

"Bless me, Anne, how softly you move, you quite startled me," said
little Mr. Bellamy, putting on his spectacles in an agitated manner.

"My dear, a wife, like an embodied conscience, should always be at her
husband's shoulder, especially when he does not know it."

Bellamy made no reply, but looked as though the sentiment was one of
which he did not approve; meantime the lady repeated her question to
George, and the two fell into a bantering conversation. Philip, having
dropped back a little, had an opportunity of carefully observing Mrs.
Bellamy, an occupation not without interest, for she was certainly
worthy of notice.

About twenty years of age, and of medium height, her figure was so
finely proportioned and so roomily made that it gave her the
appearance of being taller than she really was. The head was set
squarely on the shoulders, the hair was cut short, and clustered in
ringlets over the low, broad brow; whilst the clearly carved Egyptian
features and square chin gave the whole face a curious expression of
resoluteness and power. The eyes were heavily-lidded and greyish-green
in hue, with enormously large dark pupils that had a s