The Worshipful Master.

Sir Knighton was naturally vexed , but , the Liberals being in power , soon raised him to the Peerage , and he now sits in the House of Lords as Lord Elmsley of Airedale , and a very good peer he makes , too . Within a month or six weeks the Liberals were out of office , and when the Lodge of Harmony met for St . John ' s Festival one of the toasts given from the chair was Lord Esme Earsdon , M . P . for Wessex , and Junior Lord of the

Treasury . The young Lord responded in his usual pleasant , modest manner , after the full Masonic honours had been given , " For he ' s a jolly good Mason , " being led off in fine style by the Secretary .

CHAPTER VIII . LOVE , THE DEATHLESS . THE following Spring Lord Esme , as soon as Parliament was up for the Whitsuntide recess , paid a visit to Cornwall , and somehow found his way to St Mervin . The old town was looking The projected hotel was nearly

up . built ; a handsome grammar school had . been erected ; a Masonic lodge was being built ; and a club had been formed which fifty or sixty of the county gentleman had joined , and of which the young Lorcl was made an honorary member . Sir William de la Wray , who lived at the Castle , and who was a Knight Templarhad recentlgot a charter for a Preceptory to meet thereand a

, y , special meeting was held in the Porphyry Hall to receive Lord Esme into the Order of the Temple , he having expressed a wish to join the Sir Knights . It was called the Black Prince , in honour of the first Duke of Cornwall , who had once visited the Castle when residing at his palace of Restormel , some six or eight miles off . The knihtsin their white tunics and mantlesadorned with the red cross

g , , , with the Beauseant and the knights' own flags , with their armorial bearings blazoned on them , the impressive ceremony of installation itself , and that quaint mediseval hall , with the light streaming through the painted windows , had its effect even upon Lord Esme , who was accustomed to stately ceremonial .

The Eminent Preceptor , Sir William , afterwards entertained the sir knights in true hospitable Cornish fashion . The Rectory was close to the gates of the Castle , and , somehow , the Member for Wessex soon found his way there . Assellya , now twenty-two , looked , if anything , more beautiful than when he had seen her three years before . In vain had he striven to forget her ; in vain had he tried to like Lady Mildred Bottreux , the heiress of the Earls of

Carnegal , whom his mother had wished him to marry , ancl who was , it was rumoured , herself by no means averse to the match . Come what would , and whether she would have him or not , Edith Penhaligon was the girl of all others he would wish to make his wife . Of course , she was glad to see him—unfeignedly glad .. She was not a girl to hide her feelingsor pretend to be indifferent when she was notMrsPenhaligon

, _ . . asked him to tea . They were primitive people , who always dined in the middle of the day ; and the Rector being absent , attending a meeting of the Royal Institution of Cornwall , at Truro , they enjoyed themselves very much .

" I am sorry to say , " said Asellya , after she had sung one of her new songs to him , at his earnest request , called " The Distant Shore , " " that I must go now , as I have promised to walk to Klymiarven , to try over Miss Pentreath's accompaniments . She sings at our concert next week . " " May I not go with you ?" " Yes , if you like ; but I am afraid you will find it an awful bore . " "Not at all . "