gages on the property, and as his son led a
wild life at college these went on increasing from year to year; until,
when at last on obtaining his colonel's pension and the honorary rank
of general he was able to retire to the Castle de Werve, all he could
call his own was the house, garden, and surrounding grounds.

Aunt Sophia, on the contrary, whom it must be confessed was a sharp,
clever woman, had in the meantime doubled her fortune, besides
inheriting largely from a rich cousin who had taken her part in the
family quarrel.

As the proverb says, "hatred has four eyes," and so she, making use
of the information obtained from the old steward, appointed a lawyer
to buy up on her behalf all the land sold by the General. This lawyer
had further instructions to advance money on the mortgages, and to
exact the interest with the greatest promptitude. In this way my
aunt became so well acquainted with Von Zwenken's money difficulties,
that she could calculate the day, nay, even the hour, when he would
be at her mercy.

At last, imagining the favourable moment had arrived, she sent a lawyer
to offer him a much larger sum for the castle and the seignorial
rights than any one else would be likely to give, seeing that she
was secretly in possession of the surrounding estates.

The General's answer was to this effect: "He would not sell the
seignorial rights at any price; and as for the castle, he had promised
his deceased wife to keep her sister out of it at all costs, and he
would rather see it fall about his ears than that Miss Sophia Roselaer
should ever set foot inside it again."

Poor man, he little knew how much she had him in her power, and all
the precautions she had taken. Otherwise he would have reflected
twice before sending such an answer. Something suddenly occurred
which obliged him to mortgage even the house itself--the cause is a
mystery--and now Aunt Sophia might have been revenged; but for some
inexplicable reason she countermanded her orders to Van Beek, who
does not himself know why. Just before her death she sent for him to
change her will, and it was on this occasion she made me her sole heir.

CHAPTER VII.

I was invited to stay to luncheon by my lawyer, and I accepted the
invitation.

In the course of the conversation Van Beek said--

"The country seat, Runenburg, will be at your disposal on the 31st
of October next; but the house in town is let till the May following,
and the te