the sole purpose of hiding himself from strangers, I dare entreat with him no more on the matter. I know not what fit of shyness is on him, but he begged with such earnestness to be excused from dining with us--a common freak of his, when we entertain guests who are strange to him--that I could but give way to his desire for retirement, imposing, however, upon him as a penalty the duty of entertaining us at our meal in the manner you hear. And in truth the handling of the instrument is many degrees better than that of our daily organist, and a treat to the ear. The Lady Bryn Afon, I must tell you, has a great desire to secure him for her husband's private chaplain, having, as I said, much sympathy with his strangely misguided notions as to our proper beverages, which notions he verily holds fast as the Gospel itself! I do not obey his teachings, I warrant you, yet I suffer him to preach them to me continually, for the pleasure of hearing him talk!" "Has he then made such special study of the matter?" asked the vicar. "His pamphlet was indeed a scholarly piece of writing, and I can scarce believe it to be the work of a youth of but twenty years of age." "I know not whether the pamphlet be his or no," answered Lady Rosamond, "but I can affirm boldly that he has already studied everything under the sun which has been revealed to mortal man upon the matter,--and more, for, as I tell him, I firmly believe he holds converse with the gods of old, who, as we know, loved well their wine, and must have much experience to relate thereon, as to its effects both on their terrestrial life and that in which they are now expiating their excesses." "He is all this time a nameless hero," said the vicar with a smile. "Must his Christian name remain as unrevealed to us as his person?" "Nay, it is no secret," answered Lady Rosamond, "save with respect to this mysterious pamphlet, which we are making bold to ascribe to him! Percival Vere is his name, but at Christ's College they have nicknamed him 'Sir Galahad,' saying truly that it is a yet more fitting appellation for one, the purity of whose countenance and spotlessness of whose life and fame do render him a right worthy impersonation of the sacred Knight of the Holy Grail. His father would have had him called Lancelot, after his noble grandsire Lancelot Ap Gryffyth, lord of brave lands and right worthy descendant of that unfortunate king of ours, whose head King Edward of England caused so ruthlessly to be hung up upon the gates of Carnarvon City. But the Lady Enid would have her son bear no name of sinful knight, e'en though it were the name her own brave father bore right worthily, and called the boy Percival, trusting that he might rather choose the ways of purity and peace, in which that more holy knight of old had walked.--Now, Primrose, there were a noble ambition for our gallant youth--to win back the ancient kingdom of his forefathers!" "Has he then so warlike a wish?" asked the girl.