ng my contempt for heroes and hero-worship. It's a treat
to have Philip out of the way, and if it was but possible to get out of
hearing of his perfection, I should have some peace. If I thought this
fellow had one spice of the kind, I'd never trouble my head about him
more; and yet I don't believe he has such a pair of hawk's eyes for
nothing!'

The hawk's eyes, as Charles called them, shone brighter from that
day forth, and their owner began to show more interest in what passed
around. Laura was much amused by a little conversation she held with
him one day when a party of their younger neighbours were laughing and
talking nonsense round Charles's sofa. He was sitting a little way off
in silence, and she took advantage of the loud laughing to say:

'You think this is not very satisfactory?' And as he gave a quick glance
of inquiry--'Don't mind saying so. Philip and I often agree that it is a
pity spend so much time in laughing at nothing--at such nonsense.'

'It is nonsense?'

'Listen--no don't, it is too silly.'

'Nonsense must be an excellent thing if it makes people so happy,' said
Guy thoughtfully. 'Look at them; they are like--not a picture--that has
no life--but a dream--or, perhaps a scene in a play.'

'Did you never see anything like it?'

'Oh, no! All the morning calls I ever saw were formal, every one stiff,
and speaking by rote, or talking politics. How glad I used to be to get
on horseback again! But to see these--why, it is like the shepherd's
glimpse at the pixies!--as one reads a new book, or watches what one
only half understands--a rook's parliament, or a gathering of sea-fowl
on the Shag Rock.'

'A rook's parliament?'

'The people at home call it a rook's parliament when a whole cloud of
rooks settle on some bare, wide common, and sit there as if they were
consulting, not feeding, only stalking about, with drooping wings, and
solemn, black cloaks.'

'You have found a flattering simile,' said Laura, 'as you know that
rooks never open their mouths without cause.'

Guy had never heard the riddle, but he caught the pun instantly, and the
clear merry sound of his hearty laugh surprised Charles, who instantly
noted it as another proof that was some life in him.

Indeed, each day began to make it evident that he had, on the whole,
rather a superabundance of animation than otherwise. He was quite
confidential with Mrs. Edmonstone, on whom he used to lavish, with
boyish eagerness, all that inte