heir pleasant shadow overhead.

"Well, Ferdinand," he said, in a discontented voice, "what are you doing
here?"

"I am listening to the music," said Ferdinand, in answer.

"The music?" said his lordship. "That caterwauling?" He waved a hand
towards the wall. "Old Fuller and his friends."

"They play capitally," said Ferdinand; "for country people they play
capitally. They are amateurs, of course?"

"Do they?" asked the earl, somewhat eagerly; "do they, really? Tell
'em so, tell 'em so. Nothing so likely"--he dropped his voice to a
whisper--"nothing so likely to catch old Fuller's vote as that. He's
mad on music. I haven't ventured to call on him for a long time. We had
quite a little fracas years ago about these overhanging boughs. They're
quite an eyesore--quite an eyesore; but he won't have 'em touched;
won't endure it. Joseph, you can carry the ladder home. We'll go in,
Ferdinand--it's an admirable opportunity. I've been wondering how to
approach old Fuller, and this is the very thing--the very thing."

"Wait until they have finished," said the younger man; and Joseph having
shouldered the ladder and gone off with it in his own crab-like way, the
two stood together until the musicians in the garden had finished the
theme upon which they were engaged.

The earl pushed open the garden door and entered, Ferdinand following in
the rear. The girl turned at the noise made by the shrieking hinges, and
stood somewhat irresolutely, as if uncertain. Finally, she bowed in
a manner sufficiently distant and ceremonious. Ferdinand put up an
eye-glass and surveyed her with an air of criticism, while the old
nobleman advanced briskly towards the table around which the musicians
were seated.

"Good-day, Fuller, good-day," he said, in a hearty voice; "don't let me
disturb you, I beg. We heard your beautiful music as we passed by, and
stopped to listen to it. This is my young friend, Mr. De Blacquaire,
who's going to stand, you know, for this division of the county. Mr.
De Blacquaire is a great amateur of music, and was delighted with your
playing--delighted."

"I was charmed, indeed," said Ferdinand. "There are lovers of music
everywhere, of course, but I had not expected to find so advanced a
company of amateurs in Heydon Hay. That final passage was exquisitely
rendered."

The earl stood with a smile distorted in the sunlight, looking
alternately from the candidate to the voters.

"Exquisitely rendered, I am sure," he s