Lucy turned her crest round a little haughtily, and shot such a glance on Eve.  Eve read in it a compound of triumph and pique.

David came to Eve one morning with parchments in his hand and a merry smile.  “Eureka!”

“You’re another,” said Eve, as quick as lightning, and upon speculation.

“I have made Mr. Fountain’s pedigree out,” explained David.

“You don’t say so! won’t he be pleased?”

“Yes.  Do you think she will be pleased?”

“Why not?  She will look pleased, anyway.  I say, don’t you go and tell them the whole county was owned by the Dodds before Fountain, or Funteyn, or Font, was ever heard of.”

“Hardly.  I have my own weaknesses, my lass; I’ve no need to adopt another man’s.”

“Bless my soul, how wise you are got!  So sudden, too!  You shouldn’t surprise a body like that.  Lucky I’m not hysterical.  Now let me think, David—­Solomon, I mean—­no, you shall keep this discovery back awhile; it may be wanted.”  She then reminded him that the Fountains were capricious; that they had dropped him for a week, and eight again; if so, this might be useful to unlock their street door to him at need.

“Good heavens, Eve, what cunning!”

“David, when I have a bad cause in hand, I do one of two things:  I drop it, or I go into it heart and soul.  If my zeal offends you, I can retire from the contest with great pleasure.”

“No! no! no! no! no!  If you leave the helm I shall go ashore directly”—­dismay of David; grim satisfaction of his imp.

This matter settled, David asked Eve if she did not think Master Nelson (Mr. Fountain’s new ward) was a very nice boy.

“Yes; and I see he has taken a wonderful fancy to you.”

“And so have I to him; we have had one or two walks together.  He is to come here at twelve o’clock to-day.”

“Now why couldn’t you have asked me first, David?  The painters are coming into the house to-day; and the paperers, and all, and we can’t be bothered with mathematics.  You must do them at Font Abbey.”  Eve was a little cross.  David only laughed at her; but he hesitated about making a school-house of Font Abbey—­it would look like intruding.

“Pooh! nonsense,” said Eve; “they will only be too glad to take advantage of your good-nature.”

“He is an orphan,” said David, doggedly.

However, the lesson was given at Font Abbey, and after it Master Nelson came bounding into the drawing-room to the ladies.

“Oh, Lucy, Mr. Dodd is such a beautiful geometrician!  He has been giving me a lesson; he is going to give me one every day.  He knows a great deal more than my last tutor.”  On this Master Nelson was questioned, and revealed that a friendship existed between him and Mr. Dodd such as girls are incapable of (this was leveled at Lucy); being cross-examined as to the date of this friendship, he was obliged to confess that it had only existed four days, but was to last to death.