arding raised his, and bowed, and turned round as
though he were about to speak. Crosbie felt that he had never seen a
face on which traits of human kindness were more plainly written. But
the old man did not speak. He turned his body half round, and then
shambled back, as though ashamed of his intention, and passed on.

"He is of that sort that they make the angels of," said the verger.
"But they can't make many if they want them all as good as he is.
I'm much obliged to you, sir." And he pocketed the half-crown which
Crosbie gave him.

"So that's Lady Dumbello's grandfather," said Crosbie, to himself,
as he walked slowly round the close towards the hospital, by the
path which the verger had shown him. He had no great love for Lady
Dumbello, who had dared to snub him--even him. "They may make an
angel of the old gentleman," he continued to say; "but they'll never
succeed in that way with the granddaughter."

He sauntered slowly on over a little bridge; and at the gate of the
hospital he again came upon Mr Harding. "I was going to venture in,"
said he, "to look at the place. But perhaps I shall be intruding?"

"No, no; by no means," said Mr Harding. "Pray come in. I cannot say
that I am just at home here. I do not live here,--not now. But I know
the ways of the place well, and can make you welcome. That's the
warden's house. Perhaps we won't go in so early in the day, as the
lady has a very large family. An excellent lady, and a dear friend of
mine,--as is her husband."

"And he is warden, you say?"

"Yes, warden of the hospital. You see the house, sir. Very pretty,
isn't it? Very pretty. To my idea it's the prettiest built house I
ever saw."

"I won't go quite so far as that," said Crosbie.

"But you would if you'd lived there twelve years, as I did. I lived
in that house twelve years, and I don't think there's so sweet a spot
on the earth's surface. Did you ever see such turf as that?"

"Very nice indeed," said Crosbie, who began to make a comparison
with Mrs Dale's turf at the Small House, and to determine that the
Allington turf was better than that of the hospital.

"I had that turf laid down myself. There were borders there when I
first came, with hollyhocks, and those sort of things. The turf was
an improvement."

"There's no doubt of that, I should say."

"The turf was an improvement, certainly. And I planted those shrubs,
too. There isn't such a Portugal laurel as that in the county."

"Were yo