law finds 'em out." And
then Mr Vickers walked away, avoiding further dispute.

In the meantime, the earl was asleep upstairs, and the two young men
from Guestwick did not find that they could amuse themselves with any
satisfaction. Each took up a book; but there are times at which a
man is quite unable to read, and when a book is only a cover for his
idleness or dulness. At last, Dr Crofts suggested, in a whisper, that
they might as well begin to think of going home.

"Eh; yes; what?" said the earl, "I'm not asleep." In answer to
which the doctor said that he thought he'd go home, if his lordship
would let him order his horse. But the earl was again fast bound in
slumber, and took no further notice of the proposition.

"Perhaps we could get off without waking him," suggested Eames, in a
whisper.

"Eh; what?" said the earl. So they both resumed their books, and
submitted themselves to their martyrdom for a further period of
fifteen minutes. At the expiration of that time, the footman brought
in tea.

"Eh, what? tea!" said the earl. "Yes, we'll have a little tea. I've
heard every word you've been saying." It was that assertion on the
part of the earl which always made Lady Julia so angry. "You cannot
have heard what I have been saying, Theodore, because I have said
nothing," she would reply. "But I should have heard it if you had,"
the earl would rejoin, snappishly. On the present occasion neither
Crofts nor Eames contradicted him, and he took his tea and swallowed
it while still three parts asleep.

"If you'll allow me, my lord, I think I'll order my horse," said the
doctor.

"Yes; horse--yes--" said the earl, nodding.

"But what are you to do, Eames, if I ride?" said the doctor.

"I'll walk," whispered Eames, in his very lowest voice.

"What--what--what?" said the earl, jumping up on his feet. "Oh, ah,
yes; going away, are you? I suppose you might as well, as sit here
and see me sleeping. But, doctor--I didn't snore, did I?"

"Only occasionally."

"Not loud, did I? Come, Eames, did I snore loud?"

"Well, my lord, you did snore rather loud two or three times."

"Did I?" said the earl, in a voice of great disappointment. "And yet,
do you know, I heard every word you said."

The small phaeton had been already ordered, and the two young men
started back to Guestwick together, a servant from the house riding
the doctor's horse behind them. "Look here, Eames," said the earl, as
they parted on the steps o