might seem
arrogant and conceited--to his mother he was only possessed of the
proper spirit of a gentleman. In her eyes he was handsome, though in the
eyes of no one else.

But perfect happiness is short-lived. In her new prosperity Mrs. Kent
forgot that she had a brother who was not likely to reflect credit upon
the family. She had not heard from him for years, and supposed he did
not know where she was. But in this, as we know, she was mistaken.

One day Nicholas was standing on the lawn in front of the house, waiting
for his carriage to be brought around from the stable, when his
attention was drawn to a common-looking man who was standing by the
fence and looking at him in what he considered an impudently familiar
way.

Since Nicholas had become a young aristocrat he was easily made angry by
such familiarity on the part of anyone of the lower orders, and he
resented it at once.

"Why are you standing there, fellow?" he demanded, frowning.

The man neither seemed overawed nor angry. He only looked amused.

"Because I am tired of walking," he said.

"Then go somewhere else."

"Thank you, this suits me very well," said the man, smiling provokingly.

"It doesn't suit me, though," said Nicholas, bristling up.

"Who are you?" inquired Dick, for it was he, with provoking nonchalance.

"Who am I? I'll let you know!" retorted Nicholas, now very angry.

"I wish you would. That's what I just asked you."

"I'm the owner of this place, and I warn you off."

"Oh, you're the owner of this place!" said the stranger, laughing. "Do
you own the road, too?"

"Yes," said Nicholas, "I own the road in front of my place."

Dick laughed again.

"You're a young man, ain't you, to be a landed proprietor. How about
your mother? Doesn't she own anything?"

"What do you know about my mother?" demanded Nicholas, a little
nonplussed.

"More than you think for, young man," said Dick. "She used to go to
school with me."

"Did she? Well, I suppose she couldn't help it if there were low persons
in the school with her."

"That's good!" said the stranger, laughing heartily. "So I am a low
person, am I?"

"You look like it," said Nicholas, insolently.

He expected the man would be angry, but instead he laughed more heartily
than before.

Nicholas began to think he was crazy.

"Well, boy," he said, after a pause, "just remember that appearances are
sometimes deceitful."

"I don't think they are so in this case," said Nic