the room. As she did
so, I observed a tall, soldierly man appear in the avenue, advancing
with rapid strides. Well did I know his grave, handsome face.

"Here comes Nicholas!" said I, turning round; but Bella had fled.

I observed that my friend, instead of coming straight to the room from
the window of which my mother and I had saluted him, turned sharp off to
the library.

I was running to the door to welcome him, when my mother called me back.
I turned and looked at her. She smiled. So did I. Without uttering a
word we both sat down to finish our breakfast.

"Ah! Jeff," said my mother, with a little sigh, "how I wish you would
fall in love with some one!"

"Fall in love, mother! What nonsense! How could I? No doubt there are
plenty loveable girls, and there _is_ one charming little--well, no
matter--"

At that moment Nicholas entered the room, heartily saluted my mother,
and cut short our conversation.

CHAPTER TWO.

IS STILL MORE EXPLOSIVE THAN THE FIRST.

Much to my surprise, I found that neither Nicholas Naranovitsch nor
Bella nor my mother would consent to witness my experiments with
dynamite that day.

As my old chum approached to greet me on the lawn before breakfast the
day following, I could not help admiring his fine, tall, athletic
figure. I don't know how it is, but I have always felt, somehow, as if
I looked up at him, although we were both exactly the same height--six
feet one without our boots. I suppose it must have been owing to his
standing so erect, while I slouched a little. Perhaps my looking up to
him mentally had something to do with it.

"You'll come to-day, won't you?" I said, referring to the experiments.

"Of course I will, old boy; but," he added, with a smile, "only on one
condition."

"What may that be?"

"That you don't bother Bella with minute details."

Of course I promised not to say a word unless asked for explanations,
and after breakfast we all went to a part of the grounds which I wished
to bring under cultivation. It was at that time encumbered with several
large trees, old roots, and a number of boulders.

"Come along with us, Lancey," I said to the groom, who was also my
laboratory assistant, and whom I met in the stable-yard, the scene of
his memorable blowing-up. "I am about to try the effect of an
explosive, and wish you to understand the details."

"Yes, sir," replied Lancey, with a respectful touch of his cap; "I must
say, sir, if