The manufacturer smilingly assented. He appeared in an unusually pleasant frame of mind that evening. "I suppose I need scarcely ask you whether you care for music?" continued the Colonel, pausing for an instant outside the door. Mr. Snapson's reply was so indeterminate that it might have been either construed into a negative or affirmative. "Albert is passionately fond of it," remarked Sir Edward. "He is," said Mr. Snapson, with a face of profound gratification; "though his delicate health has hitherto prevented him from cultivating the talent I am told he possesses to the same extent as he would otherwise have done." "In his case I should think very little cultivation necessary; he seems to have such a wonderful faculty of accurately striking off at first sight the exact tune he requires." Mr. Snapson looked surprised and somewhat puzzled. "Unfortunately, however," he answered, in a tone which betrayed his unwillingness to make the admission, "he does not play." "Not play! exclaimed the Colonel, pointing to Albert, who was at that very moment seated at a magnificent grand piano, which occupied a recess at the upper end of the room, apparently as much in his element as he had ever been in his life; "what is that but playing?" Mr. Snapson was struck dumb with astonishment, and as he gazed perplexedly around him, unable to realize the truth of that which his eyes and ears were telling him, the expression of doubt and amaze which appeared on his countenance partially enlightened Sir Edward as to the cause of his unwonted bewilderment. "I suspect this is Herbert's doing," said the baronet, in a low voice. "Then I am for ever obliged to him," was Mr. Snapson's energetic response; and going hastily forward, he stationed himself near the instrument, and listened to his son's performance with undisguised admiration and delight. It was rather a curious sight to behold this man, for whose practical and methodical nature the sweetest harmonies had formerly possessed no charm, suddenly becoming alive to the influence of music. A strange spell seemed over him. He stood rooted to the spotabsorbed, enchanted, fascinated! His eyes softened and grew bright with new-born emotion, his thin lips parted into something closely resembling an unconscious smile, and his whole aspect underwent a complete transformation. He neither moved nor spoke until Albert, having finished the piece he was playing, rose from his seat, and began to talk with Ella Stanley. "How is it that I never heard you play before?" inquired the proud father, going up to them, and accosting his son with an indulgent smile. "Oh, it sounds far better on the organ," replied the lad, in his careless, off-hand tone;" and as we haven't one at home, I generally use Mr. Seymour's.' Mr. Snapson bit his lip, and a slight frown wrinkled his forehead at this unnecessary communicativeness. "But you must have been aware," he said, in accents of gentle reproach," that if you had expressed the faintest desire for an organ, I should instantly have purchased one for you." "Of course you would," answered the lad, in a matter-of-fact voice, "but I wanted to surprise you and mamma by playing a duet one evening with Arabella-which I am not quite perfect in yet. He," -indicating Herbert by a glance over his shoulder-"begged me to keep my secret until after he was gone, and if it hadn't been for Miss Stanley, slipping his hand into Ella's, and looking archly up into her face "I should have refused to play to-night; but when he heard that she wished it, he could hold out no longer." "I feel extremely grateful to Miss Stanley for being the means of affording me an opportunity of thanking Mr. Seymour for all the trouble he must have taken with you," said the man of wealth, bowing, and fixing his eyes so keenly and attentively upon her, that she felt her colour rise considerably under his scrutiny, and was obliged to turn away her head, lest he should discover how much she was discomposed by Albert's simple words, as well as his own inquisitive inspection of her glowing countenance. It did not lessen her confusion when Herbert approached them with a message from Lady Stanley. To Mr. Snapson's surprise, he appeared as much embarrassed as herself, merely delivering it without a word of comment; and instead of offering her his arm, or showing the least disposition to accompany her as she crossed the wide room in obedience to her mother's summons, he stepped back in order to make way for another gentleman, who had been for some time hovering near, waiting for an opportunity of addressing her, and allowed him to carry her off in triumph. At first, Mr. Snapson was inclined to suspect Herbert of indifference, but a second glance undeceived him-the settled gravity of his thoughtful countenance, the sad, wistful expression of his large dark eyes, as he gazed after her much-loved form, the close pressure of his finely curved lips, and the painful contraction of his full wide brow, giving undoubted evidence of another and totally opposite feeling. CHAPTER LXXXI. RELATIVE VALUE OF £20,000. Which brings me to my childhood back, And felt its very gladness." WILLIS. "I BEGIN to understand it now," mused Mr. Snapson, with a confident movement of his head. "The poor fellow is attached to her -that's certain; but, being straitened in his circumstances, he thinks he has no chance of obtaining her, and prefers going abroad to running the risk of a refusal. Well! I am sorry for him; but it can't be helped, I suppose." Having arrived at this conclusion, he would, under ordinary circumstances, have dismissed the subject from his mind; but the gratifying discovery he had just made regarding his son's proficiency in an accomplishment of which he had deemed him comparatively ignorant, and the consciousness that the knowledge thus acquired was solely owing to Herbert's kind and disinterested instructions, had produced such a softening impression upon him, by awakening all the latent tenderness and benignity of his rough and untractable nature, that he felt his sympathies irresistibly drawn towards one who had in so many instances voluntarily undertaken the most difficult and arduous tasks, and quietly and unostentatiously performed the most important services without a thought or hope of reward. Under the influences of this gentle mood, Mr. Snapson began almost unconsciously to review our hero's magnanimous conduct with respect to his own workpeople. He recollected the demoralised state of the neighbourhood when first he went to reside in it-the roughness and uncivilisation that generally prevailed among the inhabitants; the younger part of the population priding themselves upon their rudeness and pert incivility, both in word and deed, to their superiors; the elders showing, by their uniformly sullen and disrespectful bearing, that they were possessed of a spirit of incipient rebellion, such as only wanted a favourable opportunity to break forth into open insubordination. Now there was a thorough and radical change. You might walk from one end to the other of the village of Colton, and even the adjacent hamlets, and meet nothing which could offend the eye or grate on the most refined ear. There was no profane swearing now-no open scoffing at religion—no exciting of each other's minds to evil; for the men had learnt from that Book which they had formerly despised, and which numbers of them could not read, that "the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient;" and that hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strifes, seditions, envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such-like, are irreconcilably opposed to that sweet and forbearing temper of mind which ought to animate every true believer. The women were no longer busy-bodies, idle tattlers, who spent every spare moment in wandering about from house to house, proclaiming their own virtues and grievances, and slandering and backbiting their neighbours; while the children, who had hitherto been suffered to run wild like half-tamed savages, were regularly sent to a good school, which Herbert had himself established, and in which he had for many months been the sole teacher. It is scarcely to be supposed that Mr. Snapson could understand the nature or cause of these changes, but the effect was too palpable to be overlooked or misapprehended. From various quarters he had heard of the vast improvement which had taken place in the morals and manners of his employés-the faithfulness and honesty which marked all their dealings-their strict conscientiousness in seeking to perform, instead of evading, as had too frequently been the case, their several duties, and the steadiness and sobriety of their general conduct and his own personal observation made him credit the information. Like many others, Mr. Snapson, though incapable of appreciating the motives of those who "with good-will do service as to the Lord, and not to men," was quite shrewd enough to perceive that by employing such he must in a pecuniary way be benefiting himself, and that it was therefore his interest to encourage every movement which would be likely to lead to the elevation of their moral status. "Yes," he murmured, yielding to one of those kindly impulses, so rare with him, which had been awakened in his breast by these and similar reflections, "it is all owing to him; I have no doubt of that; and I only wish it was in my power to be of service to himself. He deserves a better fate, and "Who deserves a better fate, papa?" demanded his astonished son, seizing him by the arm, and gazing earnestly and inquiringly into his face. "Is it Mr. Seymour ? " 66 'Hush!" said Mr. Snapson, casting a furtive, half-alarmed glance around him, lest the words which had inadvertently escaped him should have been overheard by any one else. "You needn't be afraid," remarked Albert, guessing his thoughts; "there's nobody listening." "So I see," answered his father, relieved to find that they were quite alone, Herbert having retreated to a distant window, where he was presently joined by Colonel Lansmore. Why don't you answer my question, papa?" persisted Albert, on observing that the latter had again relapsed into silence. "Your question?" repeated Mr. Snapson, abstractedly drawing his fingers through his grizzly hair. "To be sure," in a slightly impatient tone. pitying-Seymour?" "Who were you "I certainly do feel that he is placed in an extremely unpleasant position," replied Mr. Snapson, in a suppressed voice. "Depend upon it, he would a thousand times rather remain in this country with her,"-looking significantly at Ella Stanley, who was at the other end of the room," than carry out this absurd African scheme." "Then why does he not remain?" exclaimed Albert, flushing up with excitement, and opening his bright blue eyes in the greatest bewilderment. "He is poor," was Mr. Snapson's emphatic reply-"poor and proud." "How do you know?" cried the amazed lad, pressing still closer to his side, and gazing seriously into his face; "did he tell you so?" "He would scarcely do that," rejoined the indulgent parent, unable to repress a smile at the childlike simplicity of the question; "but it is not difficult to understand his reason for going abroad. I am surprised that it never occurred to me before." "If he had plenty of money, would he stay?" inquired Albert, after a short pause, during which his face seemed surcharged with the deepest thought and solicitude. "I have no doubt of it," returned his father, ponderingly. “But it's useless pursuing the subject further," he hastened to add, as he marked the ominous brightness of the boy's cheeks, and the quick flashes of his expansive eyes; we can't help it, you know." 66 "I am not so sure of that," said Albert, pushing his thick brown locks from off his heated forehead; "if money is all that he wants, why should we not offer him some? Only we must be careful how we do it," he continued, with instinctive delicacy, or else he might refuse to accept it." "My dear Albert," cried Mr. Snapson, horrified and aghast at the suggestion, "you are not sufficiently versed in these matters to be a competent judge of what is right and proper in such cases.' "We should never miss a few thousands," soliloquised the generous lad, totally unmoved by his father's words; "what say you, papa ? " in a gentle coaxing tone; "shall we hand over ten-or suppose we make it twenty-thousand pounds—" A startled exclamation burst from Mr. Snapson's lips, and for the space of a few seconds he stood gazing at Albert as if he fully believed him to be going mad. 66 Twenty thousand pounds!" he repeated at length, with an ironical smile; 66 a very moderate sum, upon my word!" "I should feel it a great honour to be able to help such a good man," said Albert, in accents half-petulant, half-deprecating. "I dare say," replied his far more cautious parent; "but it would be paying too dearly for the honour, my boy." "Too "Now, papa, I hate to hear you speak in that cold and calculating tone," protested his son, with the most indignant warmth. much, indeed! why I heard you telling Sir Edward this afternoon that you had offered £200,000 for some estate in 66 -shire." Very true," returned the millionaire, complacently stroking his chin; "but what has this to say to Mr. Seymour ? " "You explained to Sir Edward that it was for me that you were anxious to purchase the estate." "Well?" interrupted Mr. Snapson, surveying him in evident amusement. "And if so, I'm sure I would just as soon do without it, and spend some of the money 66 Nonsense, Albert!" exclaimed his father, in a sharp, authorita |