to the doctor."

"Will you please ask if I can speak to him."

Lionel did not wait further, but descended to the hall. The butler, in
his deep mourning, had taken his seat on the bench. He rose as Lionel
approached.

"Well, Tynn, how are you? What is it?"

"My mistress has sent me to ask if you'd be so kind as come to Verner's
Pride, sir?" said Tynn, standing with his hat in his hand. "She bade me
say that she did not feel well enough, or she'd have written you a note
with the request, but she wishes particularly to see you."

"Does she wish to see me to-day?"

"As soon as ever you could get there, sir, I fancy. I am sure she meant
to-day."

"Very well, Tynn. I'll come over. How is your mistress?"

"She's very well, sir, now; but she gets worried on all sides about
things out-of-doors."

"Who worries her with those tales?" asked Lionel.

"Everybody almost does, sir, as comes a-nigh her. First it's one
complaint that's brought to the house, of things going wrong, and then
it's another complaint--and the women servants, they have not the sense
to keep it from her. My wife can't keep her tongue still upon it, and
can't see that the rest do. Might I ask how her ladyship is to-day,
sir?"

"Not any better, Tynn. Tell Mrs. Verner I will be with her almost
immediately."

Lionel lost little time in going to Vender's Pride. Turned from it as
he had been, smarting under the injustice and the pain, many a one would
have haughtily refused to re-enter it, whatever might have been the
emergency. Not so Lionel. He had chosen to quit Verner's Pride as his
residence, but he had remained entirely good friends with Mrs. Verner,
calling on her at times. Not upon her would Lionel visit his
displeasure.

It was somewhat curious that she had taken to sit in the old study of
Stephen Verner; a room which she had rarely entered during his lifetime.
Perhaps some vague impression that she was now a woman of business, or
ought to be one, that she herself was in sole charge for the absent
heir, had induced her to take up her daily sitting amidst the drawers,
bureaux, and other places which had contained Mr. Verner's papers--which
contained them still. She had, however, never yet looked at one. If
anything came up to the house, leases, deeds, other papers, she would
say: "Tynn, see to it," or "Tynn, take it over to Mr. Lionel Verner, and
ask what's to be done." Lionel never refused to say.

She was sitting back in Mr. Verner's old c