One day, however, when he was forced to go to Northwold on business, Louis put on a fit of coaxing importunity.  Nothing would serve him but some of Jane Beckett’s choice dried pears, in the corner of the oaken cupboard, the key of which was in Aunt Kitty’s pocket, and no one must fetch them for him but Aunt Kitty herself, he was so absurdly earnest and grave about them, that Jane scolded him, and Mrs. Frost saw recovery in his arch eyes; understanding all the time that it was all an excuse for complimenting Jane, and sending her to air herself, visit the Faithfull sisters, and inspect the Lady of Eschalott.  So she consented to accompany Lord Ormersfield, and leave their charge to Mrs. Ponsonby, who found Louis quite elated at the success of his manoeuvre—­so much disposed to talk, and so solicitous for the good of his nurses, that she ventured on a bold stroke.

His chamber was nearly as much like a lumber-room as ever; for any attempt to clear away or disturb his possessions had seemed, in his half-conscious condition, to excite and tease him so much, that it had been at once relinquished.  Although the room was large, it was always too much crowded with his goods; and the tables and chairs that had been brought in during his illness, had added to the accumulation which was the despair of Mrs. Beckett and Mr. Frampton.  Mrs. Ponsonby thought it was time for Louis to make a sacrifice in his turn, and ventured to suggest that he was well enough to say where some of his things might be bestowed; and though he winced, she persevered in representing how unpleasant it must be to his father to live in the midst of so much confusion.  The debonnaire expression passed over his face, as he glanced around, saying, ’You are right.  I never reflected on the stretch of kindness it must have been.  It shall be done.  If I lose everything, it will not be soon that I find it out.’

It evidently cost him a good deal, and Mrs. Ponsonby proposed that Mary should come and deal with his treasures; a plan at which he caught so eagerly, that it was decided that no time was like the present, and Mary was called.  He could move nothing but his hands; but they were eagerly held out in welcome:  and his eyes glittered with the bright smile that once she had feared never to see again.  She felt a moisture in her own which made her glad to turn aside to her task even while he complimented her with an allusion to the labours of Hercules.  It did not seem uncalled-for, when she began by raising a huge sheet of paper that had been thrown in desperation to veil the confusion upon the table, and which proved to be the Ordnance map of the county, embellished with numerous streaks of paint.  ‘The outlines of the old Saxon wappentakes,’ said Louis:  ’I was trying to make them out in blue, and the Roman roads in red.  That mark is spontaneous; it has been against some paint.’

Which paint was found in dried swamps in saucers, while cakes of lake and Prussian blue adhered to the drawing-board.