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He was sorry for Mr Tebrick too, and he said to hiirl, his niece, must have married him because he was the first man she had ain and said aloud, when he had driven some little way: "Not an affectionate disposition," then to his coachht Drive on, Hopkins"

When Mr Tebrick was alone he rejoiced exceedingly in his solitary life He understood, or so he fancied, what it was to be happy, and that he had found co fro by playful and affectionate little creatures who beside their mother, whose simple happiness was the source of his own

"True happiness," he said to hi love; there is no such happiness as that of the mother for her babe, unless I have attained it in s he waited iht hasten to them once more

When, however, he had toiled up the hillside, to the earth, taking infinite precaution not to tread down the bracken, or ht lead others to that secret spot, he found to his surprise that Silvia was not there and that there were no cubs to be seen either He called to them, but it was in vain, and at last he laid himself on thewhile, as it see his ears to hear every rustle a in the earth

At last he must have dropped asleep, for he woke suddenly with all his senses alert, and opening his eyes found a full-grown fox within six feet of hi his face with curiosity Mr Tebrick saw instantly that it was not Silvia When he ot up and shifted his eyes, but still stood his ground, and Mr Tebrick recognised hi a hare It was the sa to his brush Now the secret was out and Mr Tebrick could see his rival before hiodchildren, who could be certain of their taking after hiain his wild and rakish life Mr Tebrick stared for a long tilanced back at him with distrust and watchfulness patent in his face, but not without defiance too, and it seemed to Mr Tebrick as if there was also a touch of cynical humour in his look, as if he said: "By Gad! o have been strangely brought together!"