CHAPTER XX.

WHEN, some time after, Kenelm quitted the room and joined Mrs. Bowles
below, he said cheerily, "All right; Tom and I are sworn friends. We
are going together to Luscombe the day after to-morrow,--Sunday; just
write a line to his uncle to prepare him for Tom's visit, and send
thither his clothes, as we shall walk, and steal forth unobserved
betimes in the morning. Now go up and talk to him; he wants a
mother's soothing and petting. He is a noble fellow at heart, and we
shall be all proud of him some day or other."

As he walked towards the farmhouse, Kenelm encountered Mr. Lethbridge,
who said, "I have come from Mr. Saunderson's, where I went in search
of you. There is an unexpected hitch in the negotiation for Mrs.
Bawtrey's shop. After seeing you this morning I fell in with Mr.
Travers's bailiff, and he tells me that her lease does not give her
the power to sublet without the Squire's consent; and that as the
premises were originally let on very low terms to a favoured and
responsible tenant, Mr. Travers cannot be expected to sanction the
transfer of the lease to a poor basket-marker: in fact, though he will
accept Mrs. Bawtrey's resignation, it must be in favour of an
applicant whom he desires to oblige. On hearing this, I rode over to
the Park and saw Mr. Travers himself. But he was obdurate to my
pleadings. All I could get him to say was, 'Let the stranger who
interests himself in the matter come and talk to me. I should like to
see the man who thrashed that brute Tom Bowles: if he got the better
of him perhaps he may get the better of me. Bring him with you to my