Mr. Edmonstone; 'I had rather take his opinion than any one's,
especially about a horse, and there is no end to what I hear about his
good sense, and the use he is of to the other young men.'

'You should tell about Mr. Thorndale, papa,' said Laura.

'Ah that is a feather in master Philip's cap; besides, he is your
neighbour--at least, his father is.'

'I suppose you know Lord Thorndale?' said Mrs. Edmonstone, in
explanation.

'I have seen him once at the Quarter Sessions,' said Sir Guy; 'but he
lives on the other side of Moorworth, and there was no visiting.'

'Well, this youth, James Thorndale, the second son, was Philip's fag.'

'Philip says he was always licking him!' interposed Charlotte.'

'He kept him out of some scrape or other, continued Mr. Edmonstone.
'Lord Thorndale was very much obliged to him, had him to stay at his
house, took pretty much to him altogether. It was through him that
Philip applied for his commission, and he has put his son into the same
regiment, on purpose to have him under Philip's eye. There he is at
Broadstone, as gentlemanlike a youth as I would wish to see. We will
have him to dinner some day, and Maurice too--eh, mamma? Maurice--he
is a young Irish cousin of my own, a capital fellow at the bottom, but
a regular thoroughgoing rattle. That was my doing. I told his father
that he could not do better than put him into the -th. Nothing like a
steady friend and a good example, I said, and Kilcoran always takes my