yond his father.

"So I hear," said the squire, growing more and more annoyed. "But why
did you take it? and where have you put it?"

"I can't tell you, father," said Ger firmly, and this time he met his
father's eyes unflinchingly. To himself he said, "I won't tell more'n
_one_ lie for mother's sake."

The squire was dumfoundered by this obstinacy. It was unheard
of--absolutely without parallel in his domestic annals--that one of his
children should actually flout him! yes! actually flout him with such
an answer as this.

"Go and stand over there in that corner," he thundered, "and you shan't
move until you can answer my questions, if you stand there for the rest
of the day. If you children have nothing else, I am determined that
you shall have good manners."

* * * * * *

It was nearly five o'clock, and Ger still stood in the same corner of
the study watching the last streak of red fade from the chill January
sky. There was no sound in the room save only the soft "plop" of a
cinder as it fell on to the tiled hearth. The fire had burned low, and
he was very cold. Never in all his life had he gone without his dinner
before, and although he was no longer hungry, everything seemed, as he
said afterwards, "funny and misty."

The squire had fulfilled his threat. After sending the culprit away to
wash his tear-stained face and hands, and to procure a clean
handkerchief, he bade him return to stand in the same corner till he
should arrive at a proper sense of the respect due to a parent. He had
locked the door upon Ger when he went to lunch, and forbade any member
of the family, including his wife, to hold any sort of communication
with the culprit. Parker the fox-terrier, however, did not obey the
squire, and remained in the study with Ger regardless of the fact that
the servants' dinner bell had rung, which was also the signal for his
own. And to Parker Ger confided the whole story, and very puzzled and
unhappy it made him, for he ran between Ger and the door snuffing and
whining till the squire came back and turned him out, when he remained
upon the mat outside uneasily barking at intervals.

Mrs Ffolliot was almost beside herself with grief and consternation.
It was such an inexplicable piece of obstinacy on Ger's part, and he
was not usually obstinate.

Grantly and Mary, while relieved that they would still have the
opportunity of wearing the dresses which had been th