rd."

"What has Fred done to you?" she asked quickly.

"That is not the question--he has done nothing," answered Lionel,
speaking more rapidly still. "My management would--if I know anything of
him--be essentially different from your son's; different from what he
would approve. Neither would I take authority upon myself only to have
it displaced upon his return. Have Roy before you, Mrs. Verner, and
caution him."

"It does no good. I have already had him. He smoothes things over to me,
so that black looks white. Lionel, I must say that you are unkind and
obstinate."

"I do not think I am naturally either one or the other," he answered,
smiling. "Perhaps it might answer your purpose to put things into the
hands of Matiss, until your son's return."

"He won't take it," she answered. "I sent for him--what with this court
business and the threat of incendiarism, I am like one upon thorns--and
he said he would not undertake it. He seemed to fear contact with Roy."

"Were I to take the management, Mrs. Verner, my first act would be to
discharge Roy."

Mrs. Verner tried again to shake his resolution. But he was quite firm.
And, wishing her good-day, he left Verner's Pride, and bent his steps
towards the village.

CHAPTER XXII.

PECKABY'S SHOP.

On passing through Deerham from Verner's Pride, a little below the shop
of Mrs. Duff, you come upon an opening on the left hand, which led to
quite a swarm of cottages. Many of the labourers congregated here. If
you took this turning, which was called Clay Lane, and continued your
way past the cottages in a straight line over the fields, you would
arrive at the residence of the gamekeeper, Broom, leaving some
brick-fields to the right, and the Willow Pool, which had been the end
of poor Rachel Frost, on the left. But, unless you climbed hedges, you
could not get to the pool from this quarter without going round, near
the gamekeeper's. The path which led to Verner's Pride past the pool,
and which Rachel had taken that unfortunate night, had its commencement
higher up in the village, above Mrs. Duff's. A few cottages were
scattered again beyond the gamekeeper's, and one or two on this side it;
but we have nothing to do with them at present.

A great part of the ill-feeling rife on the estate was connected with
these brick-fields. It had been a great mistake on Mr. Verner's part
ever to put Roy into power; had Mr. Verner been in the habit of going
out of doors himsel