twelve even when I was a young man;' and there's Osborne, who takes
after his mother, who could not tell her great-grandfather from Adam,
bless her; and Osborne has a girl's delicate face, and a slight make,
and hands and feet as small as a lady's. He takes after madam's side,
who, as I said, can't tell who was their grandfather. Now, Roger is
like me, a Hamley of Hamley, and no one who sees him in the street will
ever think that red-brown, big-boned, clumsy chap is of gentle blood.
Yet all those Cumnor people, you make such ado of in Hollingford, are
mere muck of yesterday. I was talking to madam the other day about
Osborne's marrying a daughter of Lord Hollingford's--that's to say, if
he had a daughter--he's only got boys, as it happens; but I'm not sure
if I should consent to it. I really am not sure; for you see Osborne
will have had a first-rate education, and his family dates from the
Heptarchy, while I should be glad to know where the Cumnor folk were in
the time of Queen Anne?' He walked on, pondering the question of
whether he could have given his consent to this impossible marriage;
and after some time, and when Molly had quite forgotten the subject to
which he alluded, he broke out with--'No! I am sure I should have
looked higher. So, perhaps, it's as well my Lord Hollingford has only
boys.'

After a while, he thanked Molly for her companionship, with old-
fashioned courtesy; and told her that he thought, by this time, madam
would be up and dressed, and glad to have her young visitor with her.
He pointed out the deep purple house, with its stone facings, as it was
seen at some distance between the trees, and watched her protectingly
on her way along the field-paths.

'That's a nice girl of Gibson's,' quoth he to himself. 'But what a
tight hold the wench got of the notion of his marrying again! One had