"Thank you--thank you," said Falconer, with exaggerated meekness.
"But--pardon the curiosity of an humble friend--I don't quite see where
Miss Lorton comes in."

"Oh, it's this way," said Dick, reaching for his pipe--for your
engineer, more even than other men, must have his smoke immediately
after he has stoked: "the place is empty--nobody but caretakers and a
few servants--and the agent has offered me the use of one of the lodges.
There is no accommodation at the inn, I understand."

"I see," said Falconer.

"Just so, perspicacious one. It happens to be a tiny-sized lodge, with
two or three bedrooms. My idea is that Nell and I could take possession
of the lodge, hire a slavey from the village, and have a good time of
it."

"Pleasure and business combined," said Falconer. "And it will be nice,
when the Buildings are as hot as--as a baker's oven, to think of Miss
Lorton strolling through the woods--there must be woods, of course--or
sitting with a book beside the stream--for equally, of course, there is
a stream."

"Get your fiddle and play us a 'Te Deum' for the occasion," said Dick
suddenly.

When Falconer had left the room, Nell told Dick of Lady Wolfer's visit.

"Oh!" he said, by no means delightedly. "And wants you to go and live
with her; or offered to make us an allowance, I suppose? At any rate, I
won't have anything of that kind, Nell," he added, with fraternal
despotism.