condition into which he often sank, when his brain was not stimulated to
attention and coherency by his interest in Mary's narrations.

Mary concluded that this man had once been a servant in the Maulevrier
household, perhaps at the place in Herefordshire, and that all his old
memories ran in one grove--the house of Maulevrier.

The freedom of her intercourse with him was undisturbed for about three
weeks; and at the end of that time she came face to face with James
Steadman as she emerged from the circle of greenery.

'You here, Lady Mary?' he exclaimed with an angry look.

'Yes, I have been sitting talking to that poor old man,' Mary answered,
cheerily, concluding that Steadman's look of vexation arose from his
being detected in the act of harbouring a contraband relation. 'He is a
very interesting character. A relation of yours, I suppose?'

'Yes, he is a relation,' replied Steadman. 'He is very old, and his mind
has long been gone. Her ladyship is kind enough to allow me to give him
a home in her house. He is quite harmless, and he is in nobody's way.'

'Of course not, poor soul. He is only a burden to himself. He talks as
if his life had been very weary. Has he been long in that sad state?'

'Yes, a long time.'

Steadman's manner to Lady Mary was curt at the best of times. She had
always stood somewhat in awe of him, as a person delegated with
authority by her grandmother, a servant who was much more than a