ttache out at his first post--had
been told very little as yet. Luke had tried to break the news to him
in a guarded letter, which received but the following brief and
optimistic answer:

"Why, old man! what's the matter with you? worrying over such rubbish?
Take my advice and go to Carlsbad. Your liver must be out of order."

But the catastrophe came, nevertheless; sooner even than was expected.
Edie's language grew very unguarded in Philip's presence, and Jim--"in
the Blues"--did not watch over his own manners when the new cousin was
in the house.

One evening when Luke was absent--as was very often the case now--and
the family gathering consisted of Lord Radclyffe--sullen and morose;
Philip, pleasantly condescending; and Jim and Edie, snubbed and
wrathful, a difference in political opinion between the young people
set a spark to the smouldering ashes.

Philip--still pleasantly condescending--did not say much that evening,
though he had been called a cad and an upstart, and told to go back to
his nigger relations; but the next morning Jim and Edie received a
curt admonition from Lord Radclyffe, during which they were told that
if such a disgraceful exhibition of impertinence occurred again, they
would have to go and pitch their tent elsewhere.

They brought their grievance to Luke; told him all that they had
treasured up in their rebellious young hearts against the usurper, and
much that they had hitherto kept from the elder brother, who already,
God knows! had a sufficient load of disappointment to bear.

What could Luke do but promise that Jim and Edie should in future have
a house of their own, wherein neither usurper nor upstarts would have
access, and where they could nurse their wrath in peace and unsnubbed.

For the first time since many, many days Luke was alone with his uncle
in the library. Philip was out, and Lord Radclyffe was taken unawares.

What Luke would never have dreamed of doing for himself he did for his
brothers and sister; he made appeal to his uncle's sense of right, of
justice, and of mercy.

"Uncle Rad," he said, "you have told us all so often that this should
be a home for us all. It doesn't matter about me, but the others--Jim
and Edie--they haven't offended you, have they?"

Lord Radclyffe was fretful and irritable. When Luke first came in, it
had almost seemed as if he would order him to go. Such an old man he
looked--sour and morose--his clothes hung more loosely than before o