THE SPOTTED HOESE's STOKY. 169 



during Christmas week was because I believe 

 Professor Jerkius is coming to stay with our 

 doctor ; and I am anxious that he should look over 

 my specimens and read the manuscript of my new 

 pamphlet," I said, wavering between a love of 

 home and a desire to carry out the maternal 

 wishes. 



'' I don't expect the professor will be down 

 here," my uncle said, looking up from the 

 country paper before him ; ^' and that leads me 

 to think that you may have formed an incorrect 

 idea of society at Welwyn Grange. I believe 

 the professor will be down there next week." 



" To lecture at the Mechanics' Institute, I 

 presume ? " I asked. " He spoke of doing so 

 some time since." 



'' I don't know what he's going for ; but I 

 am sure I've heard that he is to be at Welwyn," 

 my uncle answered. 



My father also expressed a wish that I should 

 go ; and as Uncle John, without any exertion or 

 personal inconvenience, could have made me 

 thoroughly uncomfortable during the long stay 

 which he proposed to make, a letter was 

 despatched accepting the invitation, and I 

 began to make preparations for departure. 



It was on the 20th of December that I left 

 home, and arrived in due course at Welwyn 



