shoulders, and in this guise walked with him into the room in which Lady
Scroope was awaiting them. "Mary," he said to his wife, "here is our
heir. Let him be a son to us." Then Lady Scroope took the young man
in her arms and kissed him. Thus auspiciously was commenced this new
connexion.

The arrival was in September, and the game-keeper, with the under
gamekeeper, had for the last month been told to be on his mettle. Young
Mr. Neville was no doubt a sportsman. And the old groom had been warned
that hunters might be wanted in the stables next winter. Mrs. Bunce
was made to understand that liberties would probably be taken with the
house, such as had not yet been perpetrated in her time;--for the late
heir had never made the Manor his home from the time of his leaving
school. It was felt by all that great changes were to be effected,--and
it was felt also that the young man on whose behalf all this was to be
permitted, could not but be elated by his position. Of such elation,
however, there were not many signs. To his uncle, Fred Neville was, as
has been said, modest and submissive; to his aunt he was gentle but not
submissive. The rest of the household he treated civilly, but with none
of that awe which was perhaps expected from him. As for shooting, he
had come direct from his friend Carnaby's moor. Carnaby had forest
as well as moor, and Fred thought but little of partridges,--little
of such old-fashioned partridge-shooting as was prepared for him at
Scroope,--after grouse and deer. As for hunting in Dorsetshire, if his
uncle wished it,--why in that case he would think of it. According to
his ideas, Dorsetshire was not the best county in England for hunting.
Last year his regiment had been at Bristol and he had ridden with the
Duke's hounds. This winter he was to be stationed in Ireland, and he had
an idea that Irish hunting was good. If he found that his uncle made
a point of it, he would bring his horses to Scroope for a month at