hair, now, filling it a great
deal better than he used to do. Lionel took her hand cordially. Every
time he saw her he thought her looking bigger and bigger. However much
she may have grieved at the time for her son John's death, it had not
taken away either her flesh or her high colour. Nothing would have
troubled Mrs. Verner permanently, unless it had been the depriving her
of her meals. Now John was gone, she cared for nothing else in life.

"It's kind of you to come, Lionel," said she. "I want to talk to you.
What will you have?--some wine?"

"Not anything," replied Lionel. "Tynn said you wished to see me for
something particular."

"And so I do. You must take the management of the estate until Fred's at
home."

The words grated on his ear, and his brow knit itself into lines. But he
answered calmly--

"I cannot do that, Mrs. Verner."

"Then what can I do?" she asked. "Here's all this great estate, nobody
to see after it, nobody to take it in charge! I'm sure I have no more
right to be teased over it than you have, Lionel."

"It is your son's."

"I asked you not to leave Verner's Pride. I asked you to take the
management of out-door things! You did so, between your uncle's death
and his burial."

"Believing that I was taking the management of what was mine," replied
Lionel.

"Why do you visit upon me the blame of all that has happened?" pursued
Mrs. Verner. "I declare that I knew nothing of what was done; I could
not believe my own ears when I heard Matiss read out the will. You
should not blame me."

"I never have blamed you for it, Mrs. Verner. I believe you to be as
innocent of blame in the matter as I am."

"Then you ought not to turn haughty and cold, and refuse to help me.
They are going to have me up before the Justice Courts at Heartburg!"

"Have you up before the Justice Courts at Heartburg!" repeated Lionel,
in great astonishment.

"It's all through Roy; I know it is. There's some stupid dispute about a
lease, and I am to be had up in evidence. Did you hear of the threat?"

"What threat?" asked he.

"Some of the men are saying they'll burn down Verner's Pride. Roy turned
them off the brick-yard, and they threaten they'll do it out of revenge.
If you would just look to things and keep Roy quiet, nothing of this
would happen."

Lionel knew that.

"Mrs. Verner," he said, "were you the owner of Verner's Pride, I would
spare no pains to help you. But I cannot act for Frederick Massingbi