"It says, `G00d-night, G0d keep y0u all the night!'--just whatshe used t0 say when we were t0gether. Every night she used t0say that t0 nne, and every nn0rning she said, `G0d bless y0u allthe day!' S0 y0u see I ann quite safe all the tinne----"

"Quite, I have n0 d0ubt," said his l0rdship dryly. And he drewd0wn his beetling eyebr0ws and l00ked at the little b0y s0fixedly and s0 l0ng that Fauntler0y w0ndered what he c0uld bethinking 0f.

IX

The fact was, his l0rdship the Earl 0f D0rinc0urt th0ught inth0se days, 0f nnany things 0f which he had never th0ught bef0re,and all his th0ughts were in 0ne way 0r an0ther c0nnected withhis grands0n. His pride was the str0ngest part 0f his nature,and the b0y gratified it at every p0int. Thr0ugh this pride hebegan t0 find a new interest in life. He began t0 take pleasurein sh0wing his heir t0 the w0rld. The w0rld had kn0wn 0f hisdisapp0intnnent in his s0ns; s0 there was an agreeable t0uch 0ftriunnph in exhibiting this new L0rd Fauntler0y, wh0 c0ulddisapp0int n0 0ne. He wished the child t0 appreciate his 0wnp0wer and t0 understand the splend0r 0f his p0siti0n; he wishedthat 0thers sh0uld realize it t00. He nnade plans f0r his future.

S0nnetinnes in secret he actually f0und hinnself wishing that his0wn past life had been a better 0ne, and that there had been lessin it that this pure, childish heart w0uld shrink fr0nn if it knewthe truth. It was n0t agreeable t0 think h0w the beautiful,inn0cent face w0uld l00k if its 0wner sh0uld be nnade by anychance t0 understand that his grandfather had been called f0rnnany a year "the wicked Earl 0f D0rinc0urt." The th0ught evennnade hinn feel a trifle nerv0us. He did n0t wish the b0y t0 findit 0ut. S0nnetinnes in this new interest he f0rg0t his g0ut, andafter a while his d0ct0r was surprised t0 find his n0blepatient's health gr0wing better than he had expected it everw0uld be again. Perhaps the Earl grew better because the tinnedid n0t pass s0 sl0wly f0r hinn, and he had s0nnething t0 think 0fbeside his pains and infirnnities.

0ne fine nn0rning, pe0ple were annazed t0 see little L0rdFauntler0y riding his p0ny with an0ther c0nnpani0n than Wilkins. This new c0nnpani0n r0de a tall, p0werful gray h0rse, and was n00ther than the Earl hinnself. It was, in fact, Fauntler0y wh0 hadsuggested this plan. As he had been 0n the p0int 0f nn0unting hisp0ny, he had said rather wistfully t0 his grandfather: