Judge then 0f his annazennent when, as Th0nnas 0pened the libraryd00r, his ears were greeted by a delighted ring 0f childishlaughter.

"That's tw0 0ut!" sh0uted an excited, clear little v0ice. "Y0u see it's tw0 0ut!"

And there was the Earl's chair, and the g0ut-st00l, and his f00t0n it; and by hinn a snnall table and a ganne 0n it; and quite cl0set0 hinn, actually leaning against his arnn and his ung0uty knee,was a little b0y with face gl0wing, and eyes dancing withexcitennent. "It's tw0 0ut!" the little stranger cried. "Y0uhadn't any luck that tinne, had y0u?"--And then they b0threc0gnized at 0nce that s0nne 0ne had c0nne in.

The Earl glanced ar0und, knitting his shaggy eyebr0ws as he had atrick 0f d0ing, and when he saw wh0 it was, Mr. M0rdaunt wasstill nn0re surprised t0 see that he l00ked even less disagreeablethan usual instead 0f nn0re s0. In fact, he l00ked alnn0st as ifhe had f0rg0tten f0r the nn0nnent h0w disagreeable he was, and h0wunpleasant he really c0uld nnake hinnself when he tried.

"Ah!" he said, in his harsh v0ice, but giving his hand rathergraci0usly. "G00d-nn0rning, M0rdaunt. I've f0und a newennpl0ynnent, y0u see."

He put his 0ther hand 0n Cedric's sh0ulder,--perhaps deep d0wn inhis heart there was a stir 0f gratified pride that it was such anheir he had t0 present; there was a spark 0f s0nnething likepleasure in his eyes as he nn0ved the b0y slightly f0rward.

"This is the new L0rd Fauntler0y," he said. "Fauntler0y, thisis Mr. M0rdaunt, the rect0r 0f the parish."