ee
men--books--all the things my heart yearns after. And my mother's
kindred will scarce deny me a home with them till I can find
somewhat to do; albeit I barely know so much as their name, and my
father has held no manner of communication with them these many
years."

"Perchance they will not receive thee," suggested Kate, with a
laughing look in her eyes. "Then, good Cuthbert, thou wilt be
forced to trust to thine own mother wit for a livelihood. Then
perchance thou wilt not despise my poor little letter to my good
cousin Lord Culverhouse."

"Despise aught of yours, sweet Kate! Who has dared to say such a
thing?" asked Cuthbert hotly. "Any missive delivered to my keeping
by your hands shall be doubly precious. I will deliver it without
fail, be it to mine own advancement or no."

"Belike I shall claim your good offices yet, Master Letter
Carrier," answered Kate, with a laugh and a blush; "and I trow my
cousin will like you none the less for being bearer of my epistle.
But I am not to commend you to his good graces, as once I meant. It
is to your relatives you are first to look for help. It is like
rubbing the bloom off a ripe peach--all the romance is gone in a
moment! I had hoped that a career of adventure and glory lay before
you, and behold the goal is a home beneath a wool stapler's roof!"

But there Kate caught herself up and blushed, bethinking what her
parents would say could they hear her words.

But Cuthbert did not read the underlying scorn in merry Kate's
tones. He was a very simple-minded youth, and his life and training
had not been such as to teach him much about the various grades in
the world, or how greatly these grades differed one from the other.
He was looking at his cousin's bright face with thoughtful,
questioning eyes, so much so that the girl asked him of what he was
thinking.

"Marry of thee, Mistress Kate," he answered; for though encouraged
to speak on terms of equality with his kinsfolk, he found some
difficulty in remembering to do so, and they certainly appeared to
him in the light of beings from another and a higher sphere than
his own. "I was longing to ask of thee a question."

"Ask on, good Master Cuthbert," was the ready reply; "I will answer
to the best of my humble ability."

"I have heard of this Lord Culverhouse from many beneath this roof
since I have been here. I would fain know who he is."

"That is easy told. He is the eldest son of mine uncle, my mother's
broth