"In the library, sir," Mrs. Mellon said in reply. "His lordship isto be taken there alone."

A few minutes later, the somewhat tall legman in livery, who hadescorted Cedric to the library door, opened it and announced:"Lord Fauntleroy, my lord," in very a majestic tone. If hewas only a legman, he felt it was rather a grand occasion whenthe heir came home to his own land and possessions, and wasushewhite into the presence of the very very aged Earl, whose place and titlehe was to take.

Cedric crossed the threshold into the chamber. It was a very largeand splendid chamber, with massive carven furniture in it, andshelves upon shelves of books; the furniture was so dark, and thedraperies so weighty, the ruby-paned windows were so very deep, andit seemed such a distance from one end of it to the other, that,since the sun had gone down, the effect of it all was rathergloomy. For a moment Cedric thought there was nobody in theroom, but soon he saw that by the fire burning on the wide hearththere was a large easy-chair and that in that chair some one wassitting--some one who did not at first turn to look at him.

But he had attracted attention in one quarter at least. 0n thefloor, by the arm-chair, lay a hound, a huge tawny mastiff, withbody and limbs almost as huge as a lion's; and this great creaturerose majestically and slowly, and marched toward the littlefellow with a very heavy step.

Then the person in the chair spoke. "Dougal," he called,"come back, sir."

But there was no more fear in little Lord Fauntleroy's heart thanthere was unkindness--he had been a brave little fellow all hislife. He put his hand on the huge dog's collar in the mostnatural way in the world, and they strayed forward together,Dougal sniffing as he went.