about the village!'

'No wonder. But remember, I have not lived here since I was nine
years old. I then went to live with my uncle, a blacksmith, near
Exonbury, in order to be able to attend a national school as a day
scholar; there was none on this remote coast then. It was there I
met with my friend Knight. And when I was fifteen and had been
fairly educated by the school-master--and more particularly by
Knight--I was put as a pupil in an architect's office in that
town, because I was skilful in the use of the pencil. A full
premium was paid by the efforts of my mother and father, rather
against the wishes of Lord Luxellian, who likes my father,
however, and thinks a great deal of him. There I stayed till six
months ago, when I obtained a situation as improver, as it is
called, in a London office. That's all of me.'

'To think YOU, the London visitor, the town man, should have been
born here, and have known this village so many years before I did.
How strange--how very strange it seems to me!' she murmured.

'My mother curtseyed to you and your father last Sunday,' said
Stephen, with a pained smile at the thought of the incongruity.
'And your papa said to her, "I am glad to see you so regular at
church, JANE."'

'I remember it, but I have never spoken to her. We have only been
here eighteen months, and the parish is so large.'

'Contrast with this,' said Stephen, with a miserable laugh, 'your
father's belief in my "blue blood," which is still prevalent in