“What! what!” thundered Grandpa Burt, springing up suddenly, his mind opening upon a fresh scent.  “One of Mr. Gray’s boys?  How dare you, Sir, come into my house?  Who sent you here, Sir?  What right have you to intrude into this place, Sir?  Hiram!  Hiram!”

“Yes, Sir,” answered the man, as he came across the hall.

“Show this young man out.”

“He may have some message, Sir,” said Hiram, who had heard the preceding conversation.

“Have you got any message?” asked Mr. Burt.

“No, Sir; but I—­”

“Then why, in Heaven’s name, don’t you go?”

“Mr. Burt,” said Abel, with placid persistence, “being one of Mr. Gray’s boys, I go of course to Dr. Peewee’s Church, and there I have so often seen—­”

“Come, come, Sir, this is a little too much.  Hiram, put this boy out,” said the old gentleman, quite beside himself as he thought of his grand-daughter.  “Seen, indeed!  What business have you to see, Sir?”

“So often seen your venerable figure,” resumed Abel in the same tone as before, while Mr. Burt turned suddenly and looked at him closely, “that I naturally asked who you were.  I was told, Sir; and hearing of your wealth and old family, and so on, Sir, I was interested—­it was only natural, Sir—­in all that belongs to you.”

“Eh! eh! what?” said Mr. Burt, quickly.

“Particularly, Mr. Burt, in your—­”

“By Jove! young man, you’d better go if you don’t want to have your head broken.  D’ye come here to beard me in my own house?  By George! your impudence stupefies me, Sir.  I tell you go this minute!”

But Abel continued: 

“In your beautiful—­”

“Don’t dare to say it, Sir!” cried the old man, shaking his finger.

“Place,” said Abel, quietly.

The old gentleman glared at him with a look of mixed surprise and suspicion.  But the boy wore the same look of candor.  He held his cap in his hand.  His black hair fell around his handsome face.  He was entirely calm, and behaved in the most respectful manner.

“What do you mean, Sir?” said Christopher Burt, in great perplexity, as he seated himself again, and drew a long breath.

“Simply, Sir, that I am very fond of sketching.  My teacher says I draw very well, and I have had a great desire to draw your place, but I did not dare to ask permission.  It is said in school, Sir, that you don’t like Mr. Gray’s boys, and I knew nobody who could introduce me.  But to-day, as I came by, every thing looked so beautifully, and I was so sure that I could make a pretty picture if I could only get leave to come inside the grounds, that almost unconsciously I found myself coming up the avenue and ringing the bell.  That’s all, Sir; and I’m sure I beg your pardon for troubling you so much.”

Mr. Burt listened to this speech with a pacified air.  He was perhaps a little ashamed of his furious onslaughts and interruptions, and therefore the more graciously inclined toward the request of the young man.