ion, and shall expect you to pay the rent."

The coolness with which this was delivered turned Val's angry feelings
into amusement. He could not help laughing as he looked at her.

"You cannot have my children, Lady Kirton."

"They are Maude's children," snapped the dowager.

"But I presume you admit that they are likewise mine. And I shall
certainly not part with them."

"If you oppose me in this, I'll put them into Chancery," cried the
dowager. "I am their nearest relative, and have a right to them."

"Nearest relative!" he repeated. "You must have lost your senses. I am
their father."

"And have you lived to see thirty, and never learnt that men don't count
for anything in the bringing up of infants?" shrilly asked the dowager.
"If they had ten fathers, what's that to the Lord Chancellor? No more
than ten blocks of wood. What they want is a mother."

"And I have now given them one."

Without another word, with the red flush of emotion on his cheek, he went
up to his wife's room. She was alone then, dressed, and just coming out
of it. He put his arm round her to draw her in again, as he shortly
explained the annoyance their visitor was causing him.

"You must stay here, my dearest, until I can go down with you," he added.
"She is in a vile humour, and I do not choose that you should encounter
her, unprotected by me."

"But where are you going, Val?"

"Well, I really think I shall get a policeman in, and frighten her into
saying what she has done with the children. She'll never tell unless
forced into it."

Anne laughed, and Hartledon went down. He had in good truth a great mind
to see what the effect would be. The old woman was not a reasonable
being, and he felt disposed to show her very little consideration. As he
stood at the hall-door gazing forth, who should arrive but Thomas Carr.
Not altogether by accident; he had come up exploring, to see if there
were any signs of Val's return.

"Ah! home at last, Hartledon!"

"Carr, what happy wind blew you hither?" cried Val, as he grasped the
hands of his trusty friend. "You can terrify this woman with the thunders
of the law if she persists in kidnapping children that don't belong to
her." And he forthwith explained the state of affairs.

Mr. Carr laughed.

"She will not keep them away long. She is no fool, that countess-dowager.
It is a ruse, no doubt, to induce you to give them up to her."

"Give them up to her, indeed!" Val was beginning, when Hed