d having exchanged the old silver hunting-watch which he
carried during the day tied round his neck by a bit of old ribbon,
for a small gold watch, with a chain and seals, which in the evening
always dangled over his waistcoat. Dr Gruffen had once been asked to
dinner at Guestwick Manor. "Just a bachelor's chop," said the earl;
"for there's nobody at home but myself." Whereupon Dr Gruffen had
come in coloured trousers,--and had never again been asked to dine
at Guestwick Manor. All this Vickers knew well; and now his lordship
had brought young Eames home to dine with him with his clothes all
hanging about him in a manner which Vickers declared in the servants'
hall wasn't more than half decent. Therefore, they all knew that
something very particular must have happened. "It's some trouble
about the bull, I know," said Vickers;--"but bless you, the bull
couldn't have tore his things in that way!"

Eames wrote his note, in which he told his mother that he had had an
adventure with Lord De Guest, and that his lordship had insisted on
bringing him home to dinner. "I have torn my trousers all to pieces,"
he added in a postscript, "and have lost my hat. Everything else is
all right." He was not aware that the earl also sent a short note to
Mrs Eames.

DEAR MADAM [ran the earl's note],--

Your son has, under Providence, probably saved my life.
I will leave the story for him to tell. He has been good
enough to accompany me home, and will return to Guestwick
after dinner with Dr Crofts, who dines here. I congratulate
you on having a son with so much cool courage and good
feeling.

Your very faithful servant,

DE GUEST.

GUESTWICK MANOR, Thursday, October, 186--

And then they went to see the pheasants. "Now, I'll tell you what,"
said the earl. "I advise you to take to shooting. It's the amusement
of a gentleman when a man chances to have the command of game."

"But I'm always up in London."

"No, you're not. You're not up in London now. You always have your
holidays. If you choose to try it, I'll see that you have shooting
enough while you're here. It's better than going to sleep under the
trees. Ha, ha, ha! I wonder what made you lay yourself down there.
You hadn't been fighting a bull that day?"

"No, my lord. I hadn't seen the bull then."

"Well; you think of what I've been saying. When I say a thing, I mean
it. You shall have shooting enough, if you have a mind to try it."
The