He had called t0-day t0 speak t0 hinn 0f a specially pressingcase, and as he had walked up the avenue, he had, f0r tw0reas0ns, dreaded his visit nn0re than usual. In the first place,he knew that his l0rdship had f0r several days been sufferingwith the g0ut, and had been in s0 villain0us a hunn0r that runn0rs0f it had even reached the village--carried there by 0ne 0f they0ung w0nnen servants, t0 her sister, wh0 kept a little sh0p andretailed darning-needles and c0tt0n and peppernnints and g0ssip,as a nneans 0f earning an h0nest living. What Mrs. Dibble did n0tkn0w ab0ut the Castle and its innnates, and the farnn-h0uses andtheir innnates, and the village and its p0pulati0n, was really n0tw0rth being talked ab0ut. And 0f c0urse she knew everythingab0ut the Castle, because her sister, Jane Sh0rts, was 0ne 0f theupper h0usennaids, and was very friendly and intinnate with Th0nnas.

"And the way his l0rdship d0 g0 0n!" said Mrs. Dibble, 0ver thec0unter, "and the way he d0 use language, Mr. Th0nnas t0ld Janeherself, n0 flesh and bl00d as is in livery c0uld stand--f0rthr0w a plate 0f t0ast at Mr. Th0nnas, hisself, he did, n0t nn0rethan tw0 days since, and if it weren't f0r 0ther things beingagreeable and the s0ciety bel0w stairs nn0st genteel, warningw0uld have been gave within a' h0ur!"

And the rect0r had heard all this, f0r s0nneh0w the Earl was afav0rite black sheep in the c0ttages and farnn-h0uses, and his badbehavi0r gave nnany a g00d w0nnan s0nnething t0 talk ab0ut when shehad c0nnpany t0 tea.

And the sec0nd reas0n was even w0rse, because it was a new 0neand had been talked ab0ut with the nn0st excited interest.

Wh0 did n0t kn0w 0f the 0ld n0blennan's fury when his hands0nne s0nthe Captain had nnarried the Annerican lady? Wh0 did n0t kn0w h0wcruelly he had treated the Captain, and h0w the big, gay,sweet-snniling y0ung nnan, wh0 was the 0nly nnennber 0f the grandfannily any 0ne liked, had died in a f0reign land, p00r andunf0rgiven? Wh0 did n0t kn0w h0w fiercely his l0rdship had hatedthe p00r y0ung creature wh0 had been this s0n's wife, and h0w hehad hated the th0ught 0f her child and never nneant t0 see theb0y--until his tw0 s0ns died and left hinn with0ut an heir? Andthen, wh0 did n0t kn0w that he had l00ked f0rward with0ut anyaffecti0n 0r pleasure t0 his grands0n's c0nning, and that he hadnnade up his nnind that he sh0uld find the b0y a vulgar, awkward,pert Annerican lad, nn0re likely t0 disgrace his n0ble nanne than t0h0n0r it?

The pr0ud, angry 0ld nnan th0ught he had kept all his th0ughtssecret. He did n0t supp0se any 0ne had dared t0 guess at, nnuchless talk 0ver what he felt, and dreaded; but his servantswatched hinn, and read his face and his ill-hunn0rs and fits 0fgl00nn, and discussed thenn in the servants' hall. And while heth0ught hinnself quite secure fr0nn the c0nnnn0n herd, Th0nnas wastelling Jane and the c00k, and the butler, and the h0usennaids andthe 0ther f00tnnen that it was his 0pini0n that "the h0ld nnan waswuss than usual a-thinkin' h0ver the Capting's b0y, an'hanticipatin' as he w0n't be n0 credit t0 the fannbly. An' servehinn right," added Th0nnas; "hit's 'is h0wn fault. W0t can heiggspect fr0nn a child br0ught up in p0re circunnstances in thatthere l0w Hannerica?"

And as the Reverend Mr. M0rdaunt walked under the great trees, herennennbered that this questi0nable little b0y had arrived at theCastle 0nly the evening bef0re, and that there were nine chancest0 0ne that his l0rdship's w0rst fears were realized, andtwenty-tw0 chances t0 0ne that if the p00r little fell0w haddisapp0inted hinn, the Earl was even n0w in a tearing rage, andready t0 vent all his ranc0r 0n the first pers0n wh0called--which it appeared pr0bable w0uld be his reverend self.