ng of the squire, "and we must take care not to rub him the
wrong way."

"I shan't know what to say to him when I come down," said Johnny.

"Just shake hands with him and don't say anything," said Lady Julia.

"I'll give him some port wine that ought to soften his heart," said
the earl, "and then we'll see how he is in the evening."

Eames heard the wheels of the squire's little open carriage and
trembled. The squire, unconscious of all schemes, soon found himself
with Lady Julia, and within two minutes of his entrance was walked
off to the earl's private room. "Certainly," he said, "certainly";
and followed the man-servant. The earl, as he entered, was standing
in the middle of the room, and his round rosy face was a picture of
good-humour.

"I'm very glad you've come, Dale," said he. "I've something I want to
say to you."

Mr Dale, who neither in heart nor in manner was so light a man as
the earl, took the proffered hand of his host, and bowed his head
slightly, signifying that he was willing to listen to anything.

"I think I told you," continued the earl, "that young John Eames is
down here; but he goes back to-morrow, as they can't spare him at his
office. He's a very good fellow,--as far as I am able to judge, an
uncommonly good young man. I've taken a great fancy to him myself."

In answer to this Mr Dale did not say much. He sat down, and in some
general terms expressed his good-will towards all the Eames family.

"As you know, Dale, I'm a very bad hand at talking, and therefore
I won't beat about the bush in what I've got to say at present. Of
course we've all heard of that scoundrel Crosbie, and the way he has
treated your niece Lilian."

"He is a scoundrel,--an unmixed scoundrel. But the less we say about
that the better. It is ill mentioning a girl's name in such a matter
as that."

"But, my dear Dale, I must mention it at the present moment. Dear
young child, I would do anything to comfort her! And I hope that
something may be done to comfort her. Do you know that that young man
was in love with her long before Crosbie ever saw her?"

"What;--John Eames!"

"Yes, John Eames. And I wish heartily for his sake that he had won
her regard before she had met that rascal whom you had to stay down
at your house."

"A man cannot help these things, De Guest," said the squire.

"No, no, no! There are such men about the world, and it is impossible
to know them at a glance. He was my nephew's friend, a