don't know what you mean, and beg you'll retire. Papa put an Irish
beggar into prison for three weeks for insulting my aunt."

"What! old Susie--old Two-to-the-Pound, and all that. He must have
been very much of an Irishman to insult the old Roman."

"What do you mean, sir? Do you know my aunt Susannah?"

"Ay, to be sure. Ain't I one of her elders? Lord love ye, I've known
old Susie since she was just up to my knee--and a reg'lar speciment
she was. We always called her Two-to-the-Pound. Many's the laugh her
father and I has had about her dumpiness, and all that."

"Papa's grandfather? Did you know him, sir?" enquired Miss Arabel,
examining her companion at the same time to see if he was not the
Wandering-Jew or St Leon; for she considered her papa's grandfather as
the principal personage of a very remote historical era; and would
have been little more surprised to hear that the old gentleman before
her had smoked cigars with Sir Walter Raleigh. "Did you know my
great-grandfather, sir?"

"Didn't I? There wasn't a bigger snob, though I says it, in all
England; and just about two-and-forty years ago, him and me was as
thick as two thieves, though only one of us was a thief. He was a old
man then, and I was a young 'un, and all that. Your father was summut
about eight years old, and my daughter was born the very month afore
he bought this here estate. So you see it ain't no great time to talk
about, seeing my daughter aint a old 'oman yet, though she has a girl
twenty year old."

"I don't understand what you say," repeated Miss Arabel.

"Old Susie will understand me better, and so will little Gus."

"Who is Gus?"

"Gus is your father--Augustus he was christened; but we always called
him Gus. Well, it's quite pleasant, I declare, to be among old
friends; and I'm glad I've took a willa so close."

The sound of the word "willa," even with the initial "w," attracted
Miss Arabel's attention. Could it be possible that this was the old
gentleman with whom the handsome stranger was on a visit?

"If you live so near, you can, of course, have an opportunity of
seeing papa."

"Seeing him? yes, and telling him a bit of my mind. I'll see every
thing in the house--from old Susie Two-to-the-Pound, down to the last
born kitten. You keeps cats of course, and all that? Susie must be
pleased to see me. Sich laughs, to be sure, we had about her and a
young man of the Excise. He was about seven feet high, and she wa'n't
above fou