round.

Roy spoke to them all with boyish frankness and grace, and then eagerly
demanded if tea might be on the terrace. Miss Bertram agreed and while
she went indoors for a chat with the housekeeper, the boys tore round
the place dragging Rob after them. The stables of course were visited,
and an old groom who had known the boys' fathers when boys, welcomed
them with great warmth.

"Ye must grow quicker, Master Fitz Roy. We want to see you here among
us. I'm looking to see all these stalls occupied by hunters and sich
like again. 'Tis mournful work to live year in and year out with only
two bosses for company!"

"Tell us about the old times, Ben, do!"

Ben sat down and spread his hands out on his knees reflectively.

"All the young gentlemen were born riders," he said, slowly; "I mind how
Master Randolph would tear up the avenue after a long ride. 'There, Ben'
he'd say to me, chucking me the rein, and jumpin' off as light as a
feather, 'we've worked our spirits h'off--Ruby and me!' When the old
squire were alive, he'd have all three young gentlemen up, and then he'd
mount them and bring them down to Ruddocks stream, and see them jump it.
He used to say, 'No grandson of mine is worth calling a Bertram if he
can't take that leap before he is twelve year old!' They all did it
before they was ten, and he used to stand chuckling and rubbing his
hands as he saw them do it."

"Is that the stream at the bottom of the back meadow?" asked Dudley,
eagerly; "the one with the hedge in front?"

"Ay, to be sure!"

"But we have never jumped it," exclaimed Roy. "And I think we ought to
for we're his great-grandsons."

"We shan't be twelve for a long time yet," said Dudley, "but we really
ought to try."

"Well, we'll do it this evening after tea; and you shall come and see us
do it, Ben."

Ben grinned from ear to ear.

"You'll go over it like a bird, if so be as your pony is accustomed to
sich things!"

"We haven't taken very high jumps," admitted Dudley, candidly.

"Oh, we shall do it," said Roy, with a little toss of his head; "we'll
_make_ them go over!"

And then they turned to other subjects.

"What do you think of my house, Rob?" asked Roy, later on as he was
escorting his humble friend through the empty rooms and corridors
upstairs.

"It'll take a powerful number of people to fill it," said Rob, with awe.

"I shall have a lot of friends to stay with me, of course, and then I
shall marry; men always do tha