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　In　the　days　which　followed　Lord　Marshmoreton's　visit　to　George　at　the　cottage；　not　a　few　of　the　occupants　of　Belpher　Castle　had　their　mettle　sternly　tested　in　this　respect；　and　it　is　a　pleasure　to　be　able　to　record　that　not　one　of　them　failed　to　e　through　the　ordeal　with　success。　The　general　public；　as　represented　by　the　uncles；　cousins；　and　aunts　who　had　descended　on　the　place　to　help　Lord　Belpher　celebrate　his　ing…of…age；　had　not　a　notion　that　turmoil　lurked　behind　the　smooth　fronts　of　at　least　half　a　dozen　of　those　whom　they　met　in　the　course　of　the　daily　round。
　Lord　Belpher；　for　example；　though　he　limped　rather　painfully；　showed　nothing　of　the　baffled　fury　which　was　reducing　his　weight　at　the　rate　of　ounces　a　day。　His　uncle　Francis；　the　Bishop；　when　he　tackled　him　in　the　garden　on　the　subject　of　Intemperancefor　Uncle　Francis；　like　thousands　of　others；　had　taken　it　for　granted；　on　reading　the　report　of　the　encounter　with　the　policeman　and　Percy's　subsequent　arrest；　that　the　affair　had　been　the　result　of　a　drunken　outbursthad　no　inkling　of　the　volcanic　emotions　that　seethed　in　his　nephew's　bosom。　He　came　away　from　the　interview；　indeed；　feeling　that　the　boy　had　listened　attentively　and　with　a　being　regret；　and　that　there　was　hope　for　him　after　all；　provided　that　he　fought　the　impulse。　He　little　knew　that；　but　for　the　conventions　（which　frown　on　the　practice　of　murdering　bishops）；　Percy　would　gladly　have　strangled　him　with　his　bare　hands　and　jumped　upon　the　remains。
　Lord　Belpher's　case；　inasmuch　as　he　took　himself　extremely　seriously　and　was　not　one　of　those　who　can　extract　humour　even　from　their　own　misfortunes；　was　perhaps　the　hardest　which　es　under　our　notice；　but　his　sister　Maud　was　also　experiencing　mental　disquietude　of　no　mean　order。　Everything　had　gone　wrong　with　Maud。　Barely　a　mile　separated　her　from　George；　that　essential　link　in　her　chain　of　munication　with　Geoffrey　Raymond；　but　so　thickly　did　it　bristle　with　obstacles　and　dangers　that　it　might　have　been　a　mile　of　No　Man's　Land。　Twice；　since　the　occasion　when　the　discovery　of　Lord　Marshmoreton　at　the　cottage　had　caused　her　to　abandon　her　purpose　of　going　in　and　explaining　everything　to　George；　had　she　attempted　to　make　the　journey；　and　each　time　some　trifling；　maddening　accident　had　brought　about　failure。　Once；　just　as　she　was　starting；　her　aunt　Augusta　had　insisted　on　joining　her　for　what　she　described　as　〃a　nice　long　walk〃；　and　the　second　time；　when　she　was　within　a　bare　hundred　yards　of　her　objective；　some　sort　of　a　cousin　popped　out　from　nowhere　and　forced　his　loathsome　pany　on　her。
　Foiled　in　this　fashion；　she　had　fallen　back　in　desperation　on　her　second　line　of　attack。　She　had　written　a　note　to　George；　explaining　the　whole　situation　in　good；　clear　phrases　and　begging　him　as　a　man　of　proved　chivalry　to　help　her。　It　had　taken　up　much　of　one　afternoon；　this　note；　for　it　was　not　easy　to　write；　and　it　had　resulted　in　nothing。　She　had　given　it　to　Albert　to　deliver　and　Albert　had　returned　empty…handed。
　〃The　gentleman　said　there　was　no　answer；　m'lady！〃
　〃No　answer！　But　there　must　be　an　answer！〃
　〃No　answer；　m'lady。　Those　was　his　very　words；〃　stoutly　maintained　the　black…souled　boy；　who　had　destroyed　the　letter　within　two　minutes　after　it　had　been　handed　to　him。　He　had　not　even　bothered　to　read　it。　A　deep；　dangerous；　dastardly　stripling　this；　who　fought　to　win　and　only　to　win。　The　ticket　marked　〃R。　Byng〃　was　in　his　pocket；　and　in　his　ruthless　heart　a　firm　resolve　that　R。　Byng　and　no　other　should　have　the　benefit　of　his　assistance。
　Maud　could　not　understand　it。　That　is　to　say；　she　resolutely　kept　herself　from　accepting　the　only　explanation　of　the　episode　that　seemed　possible。　In　black　and　white　she　had　asked　George　to　go　to　London　and　see　Geoffrey　and　arrange　for　the　passagethrough　himself　as　a　sort　of　clearing…houseof　letters　between　Geoffrey　and　herself。　She　had　felt　from　the　first　that　such　a　request　should　be　made　by　her　in　person　and　not　through　the　medium　of　writing；　but　surely　it　was　incredible　that　a　man　like　George；　who　had　been　through　so　much　for　her　and　whose　only　reason　for　being　in　the　neighbourhood　was　to　help　her；　could　have　coldly　refused　without　even　a　word。　And　yet　what　else　was　she　to　think？　Now；　more　than　ever；　she　felt　alone　in　a　hostile　world。
　Yet；　to　her　guests　she　was　bright　and　entertaining。　Not　one　of　them　had　a　suspicion　that　her　life　was　not　one　of　pure　sunshine。
　Albert；　I　am　happy　to　say；　was　thoroughly　miserable。　The　little　brute　was　suffering　torments。　He　was　showering　anonymous　Advice　to　the　Lovelorn　on　Reggie　Byngexcellent　stuff；　culled　from　the　pages　of　weekly　papers；　of　which　there　was　a　pile　in　the　housekeeper's　room；　the　property　of　a　sentimental　lady's　maidand　nothing　seemed　to　e　of　it。　Every　day；　sometimes　twice　and　thrice　a　day；　he　would　leave　on　Reggie's　dressing…table　significant　notes　similar　in　tone　to　the　one　which　he　had　placed　there　on　the　night　of　the　ball；　but；　for　all　the　effect　they　appeared　to　exercise　on　their　recipient；　they　might　have　been　blank　pages。
　The　choicest　quotations　from　the　works　of　such　established　writers　as　〃Aunt　Charlotte〃　of　Forget…Me…Not　and　〃Doctor　Cupid〃；　the　heart…expert　of　Home　Chat；　expended　themselves　fruitlessly　on　Reggie。　As　far　as　Albert　could　ascertainand　he　was　one　of　those　boys　who　ascertain　practically　everything　within　a　radius　of　milesReggie　positively　avoided　Maud's　society。
　And　this　after　reading　〃Doctor　Cupid's〃　invaluable　tip　about　〃Seeking　her　pany　on　all　occasions〃　and　the　dictum　of　〃Aunt　Charlotte〃　to　the　effect　that　〃Many　a　wooer　has　won　his　lady　by　being　persistent〃Albert　spelled　it　〃persistuent〃　but　the　effect　is　the　same〃and　rendering　himself　indispensable　by　constant　little　attentions〃。　So　far　from　rendering　himself　indispensable　to　Maud　by　constant　little　attentions；　Reggie；　to　the　disgust　of　his　backer　and　supporter；　seemed　to　spend　most　of　his　time　with　Alice　Faraday。　On　three　separate　occasions　had　Albert　been　revolted　by　the　sight　of　his　protege　in　close　association　with　the　Faraday　girlonce　in　a　boat　on　the　lake　and　twice　in　his　grey　car。　It　was　enough　to　break　a　boy's　heart；　and　it　pletely　spoiled　Albert's　appetitea　phenomenon　attributed；　I　am　glad　to　say；　in　the　Servants'　Hall　to　reaction　from　recent　excesses。　The　moment　when　Keggs；　the　butler；　called　him　a　greedy　little　pig　and　hoped　it　would　be　a　lesson　to　him　not　to　stuff　himself　at　all　hours　with　stolen　cakes　was　a　bitter　moment　for　Albert。
　It　is　a　relief　to　turn　from　the　contemplation　of　these　tortured　souls　to　the　pleasanter　picture　presented　by　Lord　Marshmoreton。　Here；　undeniably；　we　have　a　man　without　a　secret　sorrow；　a　man　at　peace　with　this　best　of　all　possible　worlds。　Since　his　visit　to　George　a　second　youth　seems　to　have　e　upon　Lord　Marshmoreton。　He　works　in　his　rose…garden　with　a　new　vim；　whistling　or　even　singing　to　himself　stray　gay　snatches　of　melodies　popular　in　the　'eighties。
　Hear　him　now　as　he　toils。　He　has　a　long　garden…implement　in　his　hand；　and　he　is　sending　up　the　death…rate　in　slug　circles　with　a　devastating　rapidity。
　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Ta…ra…ra　boom…de…ay　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ta…ra…ra　BOOM〃
　And　the　boom　is　a　death…knell。　As　it　rings　softly　out　on　the　pleasant　spring　air；　another　stout　slug　has　made　the　Great　Change。
　It　is　peculiar；　this　gaiety。　It　gives　one　to　think。　Others　have　noticed　it；　his　lordship's　valet　amongst　them。
　〃I　give　you　my　honest　word；　Mr。　Keggs；〃　says　the　valet；　awed；　〃this　very　morning　I　'eard　the　old　devil　a…singing　in　'is　barth！　Chirruping　away　like　a　blooming　linnet！〃
　〃Lor！〃　says　Keggs；　properly　impressed。
　〃And　only　last　night　'e　gave　me　'arf　a　box　of　cigars　and　said　I　was　a　good；　faithful　feller！　I　tell　you；　there's　somethin'　happened　to　the　old　busteryou　mark　my　words！〃
　
　CHAPTER　18。
　
　Over　this　plex　situation　the　mind　of　Keggs；　the　butler；　played　like　a　searchlight。　Keggs　was　a　man　of　discernment　and　sagacity。　He　had　instinct　and　reasoning　power。　Instinct　told　him　that　Maud；　all　unsuspecting　the　change　that　had　taken　place　in　Albert's　attitude　toward　her　romance；　would　have　continued　to　use　the　boy　as　a　link　between　herself　and　George：　　and　reason；　added　to　an　intimate　knowledge　of　Albert；　enabled　him　to　see　that　the　latt