her
treatment of him--how----"

"Stop, stop, my dear! You cannot possibly suppose that I am going down
upon my knees to entreat Miss Nevill to marry my son after she has thrown
him over!"

"It is no question of going on your knees, mother. A few words would
suffice to show her the misery she is causing to John, and if those few
words would restore his lost happiness----"

"How can I tell that anything I can say would influence her? I suppose
she had good reasons for throwing him over. She cared for some one else,
I suppose, or, at all events, she did not care for him."

"I am quite certain, on the contrary, that she had a very sincere
affection for my brother; and, as to the some one else, I do not think
that will prevent her returning to him. Oh, mother!" he cried, with a
sudden passion, "the world is full of miserable misunderstandings and
mistakes. For God's sake, let us try to put some of its blunders right!
Do not let any poor, mean feelings of false pride stand in our way if we
can make one single life happy!"

She looked up at him, wondering a little at his earnestness. It did not
strike her at the minute that his interest in Vera was unusual, but only
that his affection for his brother was stronger than she imagined it to
be. "You know," she said, "I do not want things to come right in that
way. I do not want John to marry. I want the old place to come to you and
your children; and now that John has agreed to let you and Helen live
there----"

He waved his hand impatiently. "And you know, mother dear, that such
desires are unlawful. John is the eldest, and I will never move a step to
take his birthright from him. To stand in the way of his marriage for
such a cause would be a crime. Is it not better that I should speak
plainly to you, dear? As to my living at Kynaston, I think it highly
unlikely that I should do so in any case, much as you and Helen seem to
wish it. But that has nothing to do with John's affairs. Promise me,
little mother, that you will try and set that right by seeing Miss
Nevill?"

"I do not suppose I should do any good," she answered, with visible
reluctance.

"Never mind; you can but try."

"You can't expect me to go and call upon her for such a purpose, nor
speak to her, without John's authority."

"You might ask her to come here, or go to some house where you will meet
her naturally in public."

"Yes, that would be best; perhaps she will be at Lady Cloverdale's ball
next we