know."

"My good woman," said the warned, "I shall die when my time comes. But
I shall not hurry myself, for all the gentlemen in Paradise, nor all the
blackguards upon earth."

He spake, and sipped his port with one hand, and waved them superbly
back to their village with the other.

But, when they were gone, he pondered.

And the more he pondered, the further he got from the prosaic but
singular fact.




CHAPTER II.


In the old oak dining-room, where the above colloquy took place, hung
a series of family portraits. One was of a lovely girl with oval face,
olive complexion, and large dark tender eyes: and this was the gem of
the whole collection; but it conferred little pleasure on the spectator,
owing to a trivial circumstance--it was turned with its face to the
wall; and all that met the inquiring eye was an inscription on the
canvas, not intended to be laudatory.

This beauty, with her back to creation, was Edith Raby, Guy's sister.