Miss Kirk had been the last governess--a lovely creature with violet eyes and hair that curled at her temples. Lady Jane had found her photograph in the pocket of a shooting-coat belonging to the Colonel which had been brought to her maid to have a button sewn on, and the circumstance had led to the young lady’s abrupt departure. More or less similar circumstances, in some of which her two younger sons had been concerned, had produced similar results in a number of cases. That is why the question of the new governess was a sore point at King’s Follitt. “No one has yet answered my advertisement,” answered Lady Jane, “and none of our friends seem to know of just the right person.” “How very odd!” observed the Colonel. “We generally get so many more answers than we want.” “What those girls need is a keeper,” said Jocelyn, with an audible accompaniment of toast-crunching. “You might get one from the County Lunatic Asylum,” suggested Lionel thoughtfully. “You could get one for about the same price as a good governess, I should think.” “I don’t mean that,” answered Jocelyn. “I mean a gamekeeper. They’ve gone in for poaching, and it’s time it was stopped.” “Eh? What?” Colonel Follitt did not understand. “They’ve been snaring hares all over the park. That’s one thing. Then, they are catching all the trout in the stream with worms. If that isn’t poaching, what is? Rather low-down form, too. Worms!” This roused the Colonel. “Really! Upon my word, it’s too bad!” “What becomes of the game and the fish?” inquired the Colonel. “They give them to the postman, and he brings them chocolates in exchange,” answered Jocelyn. “They lie in wait for him behind the hedge on the Malton road.” “Upon my word!” cried the Colonel again. “There’s no doubt about it, Jane, you must get a governess at once. By-the-bye, where are they now?” “Poaching,” answered Jocelyn, crunching steadily. “They are welcome to the hares,” said the Colonel; “but catching trout with worms is a little too much! In March, too!” While he was speaking his youngest son had entered--a lean young athlete who bore a certain resemblance to both his elder brothers, for he had Lionel’s quiet, dark face, together with something of Jocelyn’s build and evident energy. “I think so too,” he said crossly, as he sat down beside his brother at the corner of the tea-table. “It’s high time that governess came.” “What’s the matter now?” asked Jocelyn. Every one looked at Claude, who seemed slightly ruffled, though he was usually the most even-tempered of the family. “Oh, nothing! At least, I suppose not. They had the new motor out on the moor this afternoon.” “My new motor!” cried Lady Jane, roused at last. Motoring was her contribution to the list of the family sports. “Yes,” answered Claude, very quietly now. “Ferguson and I were out looking after the young birds. Rather promising this year, I should say.”