’Mrs. Veale,’ said Langford, with a sharp tone, ’I heard steps from the parlour door two minutes ago. I object to listeners at key-holes. Do you understand?’ He did not wait for an answer, but turned and led the way down the passage he and Luxmore had just emerged from. Little Willy uttered a cry. ’Don’t leave me with the old woman, please, please, Honor!’ ’You shall come with me,’ answered the girl, and she drew the child with her into the parlour. ’Here we are,’ said Taverner, shutting the door. ’Take a seat, take a seat! The little boy can find a stool at the window.’ ’Thank you, Mr. Langford, I will not detain you five minutes. I prefer to stand. I am glad my father is here. Doubtless he has come on the same matter as myself.’ The two men exchanged glances. ’I have come to ask you to try Charles,’ she continued. ’Some little while ago you told father that you wanted a man to act as drover for you. I have not heard that you have met with such a servant. Try my brother Charles. He is doing no work now, and Satan sets snares in the way of the idle. If you will please to give him a chance, you will confer on us a great favour, and be doing a good work as well, for which the Lord will reward you.’ ’That is what has brought you here?’ asked the yeoman. ’Yes, sir.’ ’Have you heard it said throughout the country that I am not a man to grant favours?’ ’I do not heed what folks say. Besides, I know that this is not so. You have already acted very kindly to us. You lent father a very good horse.’ ’Why have you not applied elsewhere? at Chimsworthy, for instance.’ ’Because I do not wish to be beholden to the Nanspians, sir,’ answered Honor. ’You do not approve of your sister keeping company with that Merry Andrew,’ said Taverner approvingly. ’She does not keep company with him,’ answered the girl gravely. At any rate she lets him dance after her, draws him on. Well, well! it is natural, perhaps. But don’t advise her to be too eager. Young Larry is not so great a catch as some suppose, and as he and his father give out. Look at Chimsworthy—a wilderness of thistles, and rushes springing where grass grew to my recollection. There is no saying, some day you may be seated at Coombe Park, and then the Nanspians will be below you.’ ’Coombe Park!’ echoed Honor, looking at her father, then at old Langford. ’Surely, sir, you think nothing of that! Do not encourage father in that fancy; we never were and never will be at Coombe Park.’ ’Honor!’ exclaimed Oliver Luxmore, working his feet uneasily under the table, ’there you are wrong. The Luxmores have had it for many generations. You have only to look in the registers to see that.’ ’Yes, father, some Luxmores have been there, but not our Luxmores as far as we know. I wish you would not trouble your head about Coombe Park. We shall never get it. I doubt if we have a thread of a right to it. If we have, I never saw it.’