Tor had listened with good-humoured amusement to Phil’s dreams, though he never for a moment supposed that any one of them would be realized. To satisfy this fancy, however, he always promised that, if ever wealth did come, he would consent to be paid back in full; and Phil from time to time solemnly handed over an I O U for large sums, which there seemed no likelihood of his ever being able to repay. Tor thus possessed Phil’s notes of hand for several thousand pounds, and, on the strength of this, he felt entitled to spend money pretty freely upon the household and upon Phil’s sister and aunt. As for his own modest wants, he supplied those from his own funds, as he had no wish to line his pockets at Phil’s expense; but he lavished upon Maud everything he thought she could fancy, and liked nothing so well as the sight of her face when it kindled with pleasure and surprised delight. He was conscious of a dangerous fascination in Maud’s innocent confidences and caresses. He played his part of a kindly, undemonstrative, elder brother very creditably; but he was conscious at times that he did not feel very brother-like, and that, on the whole, he was glad he was not her brother; also, that it behoved him to act with care and deliberation. He came to the conclusion that it would not do for him to settle down at Ladywell, as people expected him to do. Such constant intercourse with Maud would be dangerous; and besides, he had no right to the position he occupied; and he did not wish, when the time for elucidation should come, to find himself in a more awkward position than was absolutely necessary. Until he had known Maud, he had fancied that as soon as the real Phil came to claim his inheritance, he should just vanish from the scene, directly his friend’s rights were made secure; and he had said to himself that what people said or thought of him would be a matter of no moment. Now, however, this opinion was changed. Tor considered that it would matter a good deal what _somebody_ thought of his conduct, and therefore he regulated it with great caution and discretion. He established Maud and her aunt as joint mistresses of the household, with unlimited control over every department. For himself, he said, he was utterly ignorant of English life and ways, and it was useless to appeal to him. He could not settle down all in a moment. He must have liberty to come and go at will; and although, when at the Manor, he took the foot of the table, and was nominal master in all things, he was as often absent as present, slept as much at the Ladywell Arms as at his own house, did much travelling backwards and forwards, and was only master, in reality, of the business matters of the estate.