nging out, they hushed
their voices and their footsteps when informed that it was for Mrs.
Verner.

Verily, within the last year, Death had made himself at home at Verner's
Pride!

CHAPTER XXXIII.

JAN'S REMEDY FOR A COLD.

A cold bright day in mid-winter. Luncheon was just over at Deerham
Court, and Lady Verner, Decima, and Lucy Tempest had gathered round the
fire in the dining-room. Lucy had a cold. _She_ laughed at it; said she
was used to colds; but Lady Verner had insisted upon her wrapping
herself in a shawl, and not stirring out of the dining-room--which was
the warmest room in the house--for the day. So there reclined Lucy in
state, in an arm-chair with cushions; half laughing at being made into
an invalid, half rebelling at it.

Lady Verner sat opposite to her. She wore a rich black silk dress--the
mourning for Mrs. Verner--and a white lace cap of the finest guipure.
The white gloves on her hands were without a wrinkle, and her curiously
fine handkerchief lay on her lap. Lady Verner could indulge her taste
for snowy gloves and for delicate handkerchiefs now, untroubled by the
thought of the money they cost. The addition to her income, which she
had spurned from Stephen Verner, she accepted willingly from Lionel.
Lionel was liberal as a man and as a son. He would have given the half
of his fortune to his mother, and not said, "It is a gift." Deerham
Court had its carriage and horses now, and Deerham Court had its
additional servants. Lady Verner visited and received company, and the
look of care had gone from her face, and the querulousness from her
tone.

But it was in Lady Verner's nature to make a trouble of things; and if
she could not do it in a large way, she must do it in a small. To-day,
occurred this cold of Lucy's, and that afforded scope for Lady Verner.
She sent for Jan as soon as breakfast was over, in defiance of the
laughing protestations of Lucy. But Jan had not made his appearance yet,
and Lady Verner waxed wroth.

He was coming in now--now, as the servant was carrying out the
luncheon-tray, entering by his usual mode--the back-door, and nearly
knocking over the servant and tray in his haste, as his long legs strode
to the dining-room. Lady Verner had left off reproaching Jan for using
the servants' entrance, finding it waste of breath: Jan would have come
down the chimney with the sweeps, had it saved him a minute's time.
"Who's ill?" asked he.

Lady Verner answered the ques