ll, there's a very necessary business
side to it. What are we going to do about poor Vane's affairs, apart
from himself? I suppose you know," he added, in a low voice to the
lawyer, "whether he made a will?"

"He left everything to his daughter unconditionally," replied Ashe. "But
nothing can be done with it. There's no proof whatever that he's dead."
"No legal proof?" remarked Paynter dryly. A wrinkle of irritation had
appeared in the big bald brow of Doctor Brown; and he made an impatient
movement.

"Of course he's dead," he said. "What's the sense of all this legal
fuss? We were watching this side of the wood, weren't we? A man couldn't
have flown off those high cliffs over the sea; he could only have fallen
off. What else can he be but dead?"

"I speak as a lawyer," returned Ashe, raising his eyebrows. "We can't
presume his death, or have an inquest or anything till we find the poor
fellow's body, or some remains that may reasonably be presumed to be his
body."

"I see," observed Paynter quietly. "You speak as a lawyer; but I don't
think it's very hard to guess what you think as a man."

"I own I'd rather be a man than a lawyer," said the doctor, rather
roughly. "I'd no notion the law was such an ass. What's the good of
keeping the poor girl out of her property, and the estate all going
to pieces? Well, I must be off, or my patients will be going to pieces
too."

And with a curt salutation he pursued his path down to the village.

"That man does his duty, if anybody does," remarked Paynter. "We must
pardon his--shall I say manners or manner?"

"Oh, I bear him no malice," replied Ashe good-humoredly, "But I'm glad
he's gone, because--well, because I don't want him to know how jolly
right he is." And he leaned back in his chair and stared up at the roof
of green leaves.

"You are sure," said Paynter, looking at the table, "that Squire Vane is
dead?"

"More than that," said Ashe, still staring at the leaves. "I'm sure of
how he died."

"Ah!" said the American, with an intake of breath, and they remained for
a moment, one gazing at the tree and the other at the table.

"Sure is perhaps too strong a word," continued Ashe. "But my conviction
will want some shaking. I don't envy the counsel for the defense."

"The counsel for the defense," repeated Paynter, and looked up quickly
at his companion. He was struck again by the man's Napoleonic chin and
jaw, as he had been when they first talked of the legend o