t
unself down to stable doong and the loik o' that." He had some grand
idea of farming--a conviction that the agricultural world in general
was very backward, and that he would set it right. Even now in his
sorrow, as he walked through his splashy, frozen fields, he was
tormented by a desire to do something, he knew not what, that might
be great.

He had no such success on the present occasion and returned
disconsolate to the house. This happened about noon on the day after
that on which Sir Peregrine had declared himself. He returned as
I have said to the house, and there at the kitchen door he met a
little girl whom he knew well as belonging to The Cleeve. She was a
favourite of Mrs. Orme's, was educated and clothed by her, and ran
on her messages. Now she had brought a letter up to Lucius from his
mother. Curtsying low she so told him, and he at once went into the
sitting-room where he found it lying on his table. His hand was
nervous as he opened it; but if he could have seen how tremulous had
been the hand that wrote it! The letter was as follows:--

DEAREST LUCIUS,

I know you will be very much surprised at what I am going
to tell you, but I hope you will not judge me harshly.
If I know myself at all I would take no step of any kind
for my own advantage which could possibly injure you. At
the present moment we unfortunately do not agree about a
subject which is troubling us both, and I cannot therefore
consult you as I should otherwise have done. I trust that
by God's mercy these troubles may come to an end, and that
there may be no further differences between you and me.

Sir Peregrine Orme has made me an offer of marriage and I
have accepted it--

Lucius Mason when he had read so far threw down the letter upon the
table, and rising suddenly from his chair walked rapidly up and
down the room. "Marry him!" he said out loud, "marry him!" The idea
that their fathers and mothers should marry and enjoy themselves is
always a thing horrible to be thought of in the minds of the rising
generation. Lucius Mason now began to feel against his mother the
same sort of anger which Joseph Mason had felt when his father had
married again. "Marry him!" And then he walked rapidly about the
room, as though some great injury had been threatened to him.

And so it had, in his estimation. Was it not her position in life to
be his mother? Had she not had her young days? But it did not oc