The earl raised himself, pushed his writing from him, turned towards
him, and said with courtesy,

"Excuse me, Mr. Grant; I wished to talk to you with the ease of duty
done."

More polite his address could not have been, but there was a
something between him and Donal that was not to be passed
a--nameless gulf of the negative.

"My time is at your lordship's service," replied Donal, with the
ease that comes of simplicity.

"You have probably guessed why I sent for you?"

"I have hoped, my lord."

There was something of old-world breeding about the lad that
commended him to the earl. Such breeding is not rare among
Celt-born peasants.

"My sons told me that they had met a young man in the grounds--"

"For which I beg your lordship's pardon," said Donal. "I did not
know the place was forbidden."

"I hope you will soon be familiar with it. I am glad of your
mistake. From what they said, I supposed you might be a student in
want of a situation, and I had been looking out for a young man to