avely.

"Is it his fault?" exclaimed Lydia. "Mr. Melrose must be mad!"

"I wonder if that excuses Mr. Faversham?"

"It's horrible for him!" said Lydia in a low, smothered voice. "He
_wants_ to put things right?"

It was on the tip of Victoria's tongue to say, "Does he too write to you
every day?" but she refrained.

"If he really wants to put things right, why has he done nothing all
these seven weeks?" she asked severely. "I saw Colonel Barton this
morning. He and Mr. Andover are in despair. They felt such confidence in
Mr. Faversham. The state of the Mainstairs village is too terrible!
Everybody is crying out. The Carlisle papers this week are full of it.
But there are scores of other things almost as bad. Mr. Faversham rushes
about--here, there, and everywhere--but with no result, they tell us, as
far as any of the real grievances are concerned. Mr. Melrose seems to be
infatuated about him personally; will give him everything he wants; and
pays no attention whatever to his advice. And you know the latest
report?"

"No." Lydia's face was bent over the grass, as she tried to aid a
bumble-bee which was lying on its back.

"It is generally believed that Mr. Melrose has made him his heir."

Lydia lifted a face of amazement, at first touched strangely with relief.
"Then--surely--he will be able to do what he wants!"

"On the contrary. His silence has been bought--that's what people say.
Mr. Melrose has bribed him to do his work, and defend his iniquities."

"_Oh!_ Is that fair?" The humble-bee was so hastily poked on to his legs
that he tumbled over again.

"Well, now, we shall test him!" said Victoria quietly. "We shall see what
he does with regard to Mrs. Melrose and her daughter. Harry will have
told you how he went to him yesterday. We had a telephone message this
morning to say that a letter would reach us this afternoon from Mr.
Faversham. Harry will bring it on here; and I asked him to bring Felicia
Melrose with him in the car. We thought you would be interested to see
her."

There was a pause. At last Lydia said slowly:

"How will you test Mr. Faversham? I don't understand."

"Unless the man is an adventurer," said Victoria, straightening her
shoulders, "he will, of course, do his best to put this girl--who is the
rightful heiress--into her proper place. What business has he with Mr.
Melrose's estates?"

Lady Tatham spoke with imperious energy.

Lydia's eyes showed an almost equal animation.