attend for me, I don't know when I shall be
home."

"All right," called out Jan. And Dr. West went out with Lionel Verner.

"I am going to Verner's Pride," he said, taking Lionel's arm as soon as
they were in the street. "There's news come from Australia. John
Massingbird's dead."

The announcement was made so abruptly, with so little circumlocution or
preparation, that Lionel Verner failed at the first moment to take in
the full meaning of the words. "John Massingbird dead?" he mechanically
asked.

"He is dead. It's a sad tale. He had the gold about him, a great
quantity of it, bringing it down to Melbourne, and he was killed on the
road; murdered for the sake of the gold."

"How have you heard it?" demanded Lionel.

"I met Roy just now," replied Dr. West. "He stopped me, saying he had
heard from his son by this afternoon's post; that there was bad news in
the letter, and he supposed he must go to Verner's Pride, and break it
to them. He gave me the letter, and I undertook to carry the tidings to
Mrs. Verner."

"It is awfully sudden," said Lionel, "By the mail, two months ago, he
wrote himself to us, in the highest spirits. And now--dead!"

"Life, over there, is not worth a month's purchase just now," remarked
Dr. West; and Lionel could but note that had he been discussing the
death of a total stranger, instead of a nephew, he could only have
spoken in the same indifferent, matter-of-fact tone. "By all accounts,
society is in a strange state there," he continued; "ruffians lying in
wait ever for prey. The men have been taken, and the gold found upon
them, Luke writes."

"That's good, so far," said Lionel.

When they reached Verner's Pride, they found that a letter was waiting
for Frederick Massingbird, who had not been home since he left the house
early in the afternoon. The superscription was in the same handwriting
as the letter Dr. West had brought--Luke Roy's. There could be no doubt
that it was only a confirmation of the tidings.

Mrs. Verner was in the drawing-room alone, Tynn said, ready to go in to
dinner, and rather cross that Mr. Lionel should keep her waiting for it.

"Who will break it to her--you or I?" asked Dr. West of Lionel.

"I think it should be you. You are her brother."

Broken to her it was, in the best mode they were able. It proved a
severe shock. Mrs. Verner had loved John, her eldest born, above every
earthly thing. He was wild, random, improvident, had given her incessant
t