ted sketch at the top of the letter.

"Yes, that's a place of mine. I was born there," said the boy, half
proudly.

"It's quite princely."

"It's a fine old thing, and I 'd give it all this minute not to have had
that disagreeable letter."

"'My dear Henry,'" began she, in a low, muttering voice, "'I have heard
with--with'--not abomination--oh no, 'astonishment--with astonishment,
not unmixed with'--it can't be straw--is it straw?--no, it
is 'shame,--not unmixed with shame, that you have so far
forgiven--forgotten'--oh, that's it--'what was done to yourself.'"

"No, 'what was due to yourself,'" interrupted he; "that's a favorite
word of his, and so I know it."

"'To become the--the'--dear me, what can this be with the vigorous G
at the beginning?--'to become'--is it really the Giant?--'to become the
Giant'--"

The boy here burst into a fit of laughing, and, taking the letter from
her, proceeded to read it out.

"I have spelt it all over five times," said he, "and I know it by heart.
'I have heard with astonishment, not unmixed with shame, that you have
so far forgotten what was due to yourself as to become the Guest of one
who for so many years was the political opponent and even personal enemy
of our house. Your ignorance of family history cannot possibly be such
as that you are unaware of the claims once put forward by this same Sir
William Heathcote to your father's peerage, or of the disgraceful law
proceedings instituted to establish his pretensions.' As if I ever heard
a word of all this before! as if I knew or cared a brass button about
the matter!" burst he in. "'Had your tutor'--here comes in my poor
coach for _his_ turn," said Agincourt--"'had your tutor but bestowed
proper attention to the instructions written by my own hand for his
guidance--'We never could read them; we have been at them for hours
together, and all we could make out was, 'Let him study hazard,
roulette, and all other such games;' which rather surprised us, till
we found out it was 'shun,' and not 'study,' and 'only frequent the fast
society of each city he visits,' which was a mistake for 'first.'"

"Certainly the noble Lord has a most ambiguous calligraphy," said she,
smiling; "and Mr. Layton is not so culpable as might be imagined."

"Ah!" cried the boy, laughing, "I wish you had seen Alfred's face on the
day he received our first quarter's remittance, and read out: 'You may
drag on me like a mouse, if you please,' which was i