. That
night, however, on arriving at my surgery, I found a splendid supply of
antitoxin, labelled 'for Mainstairs,' without another word. I have reason
to think Faversham had been in Carlisle himself that day to get it; he
must have cleared out the place.

"Next day I saw him in the village. He specially haunts a cottage where
there is a poor girl of eighteen, paralyzed after an attack of diphtheria
last year, and not, I think, long for this world. The new epidemic has
now attacked her younger sister, a pretty child of eight. I doubt whether
we shall save her. Miss Penfold has always been very kind in coming to
visit them. She will be dreadfully sorry.

"Faversham, I believe, has tried to move the whole family. But where are
they to go? The grandfather is a shepherd on a farm near--too old for a
new place. There isn't a vacant cottage in the whole neighbourhood--as
you know; and scores that ought to be built.

"As to the right-of-way business, Melrose's fences are all up again, his
rascally lawyers, Nash at the head, are as busy as bees trumping up his
case; and I can only suppose that he has been forcing Faversham to write
the unscrupulous letters about it that have been appearing in some of the
papers.

"What makes it all rather gruesome is that there are the most persistent
rumours that the young man has been adopted by Melrose, and will probably
be his heir. I can't give you any proofs, but I am certain that all the
people about the Tower believe it. If so, he will no doubt be well paid
for his soul! But sell it he must, or go. I have no doubt he thought he
could manage Melrose. Poor devil!

"The whole thing makes me very sick--I liked him so much while he was my
patient. And I expect you and Lady Tatham will be pretty disappointed
too."

* * * * *

Victoria returned the letter to her son, pointing to the last sentence.

"It depends on what you expected. I never took to the young man."

"Why doesn't he insist--or go!" cried Tatham.

"Apparently Melrose has bought him."

"I say, don't let's believe that till we know!"

When his mother left him, Tatham took his way to the moor, and spent
an uncomfortable hour in rumination. Lydia had spoken of Faversham once
or twice in her early letters from the south; but lately there had been
no references to him at all. Was she disappointed--or too much
interested?--too deeply involved? A vague but gnawing jealousy was
fastening on Tat