But to Lady Mary his arrival was a significant fact, and his impatient refusal to have his hand investigated was another.

Her cold gray eyes watched him narrowly, and, conscious that they did so, he kept out of her way as much as possible, and devoted himself to Molly more than ever.
He was sailing a mixed fleet of tin ducks and fishes across the tank by the tool shed, under her supervision, on the afternoon of the day he had arrived, when Ralph came to find him in great excitement.

His keeper had just received private notice from the Thursbys' keeper that a raid on the part of a large gang of poachers was expected that night in the parts of the Slumberleigh coverts that had not yet been shot over, and which adjoined Ralph's own land.
"Whereabout will that be ?" said Charles, inattentively, drawing his magnet slowly in front of the fleet.
"Where ?" said Ralph, excitedly, "why, round by the old house, round by Arleigh, of course.

Thursby and I have turned down hundreds of pheasants there.

Don't you remember the hot corner by the coppice last year, below the house, where we got forty at one place, and how the wind took them as they came over ?" "Near _Arleigh_ ?" repeated Charles, with sudden interest.
"Uncle Charles," interposed Molly, reproachfully, "don't let all the ducks stick onto the magnet like that.