A Blot on the Scutcheon

ht stole through the mullioned windows of the old grey building, peeping unbidden into dusty corners and dim r

of glory which played daringly amongst the powdered hairs of

hilst he addressed his friend, Squire Poynder, who sat opposite,

name which any honest Englishman would be ashamed of. Michael! Michael! Faith, Hugh, you laugh at me, but it's sober truth I'm telling you. Heir of mine he is, I'll not deny it. And th

lence. It was not often that his friend

o change the

om his lips, and, remarking hastily that the lad was young, turned his host's

l, sat the object of Sir Henry's dislike and choler, one Michael Berrington, sole heir to Berri

ack ribbon, a long face which gave the impression of being one of many points, accentuated by the long, thin nose; lean cheeks, f

hed maturity; above all, the desire for laughter and mischief dominant. And what wonder, sinc

for a worthless husband. Yet she had laughed for her boy's sake, laughed with a

d wep

im, and he had come to Berrington Manor, in t

ated him; secondly, that, with no soft eyes to utter mute reproaches, he could

n, heedless of a rent in his plum-coloured coat, gave a quick lea

k-fight at Dunley Town that evening, regardl

e meadow, and Michael paused once to shake out a st

d trifle, which was to chan

un

a soft ball from o

dly triv

h cry of dismay from the other side. But Michael did not throw it back. Instead, he climbed lik

A

mutual ex

r little, brown, flowered-cotton dress with its quaint fichu, to the brown curls, partly hidden by a musl

face, with pointed nose, high cheek-bones, laughing mouth, and

n Fairy, dropping the demurest of

ee! I mean to give you the ball myself

medlar-tree which grew against the wall, and clapped her hands whe

aid. "You shall stay her

e gay answer. "But you must give me a ki

she was, she made a fi

with a faintly foreign accent which was very fascinating. "I am G

ed her brown

le. So instead of being a grand lady you shall be my little sweetheart, and one day we will be

only dimpled afresh

dear garden and home, and be Madame la Marquise, far off over the sea. I do not want to go away. So, if you will let me

h deliberation, so that Mic

rrington, and one day the old Manor yonder will be mine, and t

g first on one foo

hrew it over the wall and that you brought it back, for now you will have to be

I will be your knight, and you shall

, then paused, a pink finge

when they come?" she asked, "a

never before had he seen so pretty a ba

ht as stars as she

gravity. "And I will be your true love for ever and ev

dark head to the le