Lord Nosh was the perfect type of the English nobleman and statesman.  The years that he had spent in the diplomatic service at Constantinople, St. Petersburg, and Salt Lake City had given to him a peculiar finesse and noblesse, while his long residence at St. Helena, Pitcairn Island, and Hamilton, Ontario, had rendered him impervious to external impressions.  As deputy-paymaster of the militia of the county he had seen something of the sterner side of military life, while his hereditary office of Groom of the Sunday Breeches had brought him into direct contact with Royalty itself.

His passion for outdoor sports endeared him to his tenants.  A keen sportsman, he excelled in fox-hunting, dog-hunting, pig-killing, bat-catching and the pastimes of his class.

In this latter respect Lord Ronald took after his father.  From the start the lad had shown the greatest promise.  At Eton he had made a splendid showing at battledore and shuttlecock, and at Cambridge had been first in his class at needlework.  Already his name was whispered in connection with the All-England ping-pong championship, a triumph which would undoubtedly carry with it a seat in Parliament.

Thus was Gertrude the Governess installed at Nosham Taws.

The days and the weeks sped past.

The simple charm of the beautiful orphan girl attracted all hearts.  Her two little pupils became her slaves.  “Me loves oo,” the little Rasehellfrida would say, leaning her golden head in Gertrude’s lap.  Even the servants loved her.  The head gardener would bring a bouquet of beautiful roses to her room before she was up, the second gardener a bunch of early cauliflowers, the third a spray of late asparagus, and even the tenth and eleventh a sprig of mangel-wurzel of an armful of hay.  Her room was full of gardeners all the time, while at evening the aged butler, touched at the friendless girl’s loneliness, would tap softly at her door to bring her a rye whiskey and seltzer or a box of Pittsburg Stogies.  Even the dumb creatures seemed to admire her in their own dumb way.  The dumb rooks settled on her shoulder and every dumb dog around the place followed her.

And Ronald! ah, Ronald!  Yes, indeed!  They had met.  They had spoken.

“What a dull morning,” Gertrude had said. "Quelle triste matin!  Was fur ein allerverdamnter Tag!"

“Beastly,” Ronald had answered.

“Beastly!!” The word rang in Gertrude’s ears all day.

After that they were constantly together.  They played tennis and ping-pong in the day, and in the evening, in accordance with the stiff routine of the place, they sat down with the Earl and Countess to twenty-five-cent poker, and later still they sat together on the verandah and watched the moon sweeping in great circles around the horizon.

It was not long before Gertrude realised that Lord Ronald felt towards her a warmer feeling than that of mere ping-pong.  At times in her presence he would fall, especially after dinner, into a fit of profound subtraction.