"Are there any letters for me, Mason?" inquired his lordship eagerly.
"None, my lord," answered Mason with some condescension, and a great deal of sternness.
Lord Downy bit his lip, and paced the room uneasily.
"My lord," said Mason, "I beg your"——
"Nothing more, nothing more;" replied the master, interrupting him. "Should any letters arrive, let them be brought to me immediately."
"Beg your pardon, my lord," said Mason, taking no notice of the order, "the place doesn't suit me."
"How?"
"Nothing to complain of, my lord—only wish to get into a good family."
"Sirrah!"
"It isn't the kind of thing, my lord," continued Mason, growing bolder, "that I have been used to. I brought a character with me, and I want to take it away again. I'm talked about already."