ic interests, when he adopted her as his
daughter. She thinks she can never be grateful enough to him--the good
creature!--though she has repaid him a hundredfold. He'll find that out,
one of these days, when a husband takes her away. Don't suppose that
I want to disparage our host--he's an old friend of mine; but he's a
little too apt to take the good things that fall to his lot as if they
were nothing but a just recognition of his own merits. I have told him
that to his face, often enough to have a right to say it of him when he
doesn't hear me. Do you smoke? I wish they would drop their politics,
and take to tobacco. I say Farnaby! I want a cigar."

This broad hint produced an adjournment to the smoking-room, the doctor
leading the way. I began to wonder how much longer my introduction to
Miss Regina was to be delayed. It was not to come until I had seen a new
side of my host's character, and had found myself promoted to a place of
my own in Mr. Farnaby's estimation.

As we rose from table one of the guests spoke to me of a visit that he
had recently paid to the part of Buckinghamshire which I come from. "I
was shown a remarkably picturesque old house on the heath," he said.
"They told me it had been inhabited for centuries by the family of the
Goldenhearts. Are you in any way related to them?" I answered that I
was very nearly related, having been born in the house--and there, as
I suppose, the matter ended. Being the youngest man of the party, I
waited, of course, until the rest of the gentlemen had passed out to the
smoking-room. Mr. Farnaby and I were left together. To my astonishment,
he put his arm cordially into mine, and led me out of the dining-room
with the genial familiarity of an old friend!

"I'll give you such a cigar," he said, "as you can't buy for money in
all London. You have enjoyed yourself, I hope? Now we know what wine
you like, you won't have to ask the butler for it next time. Drop in any
day, and take pot-luck with us." He came to a standstill in the hall;
his brassy rasping voice assumed a new tone--a sort of parody of
respect. "Have you been to your family place," he asked, "since your
return to England?"

He had evidently heard the few words exchanged between his friend
and myself. It seemed odd that he should take any interest in a place
belonging to people who were strangers to him. However, his question was
easily answered. I had only to inform him that my father had sold the
house