ble one at
the best of times. She informed him that Mr. Power had no sort of legal
control over Paula, or direction in her estates; but Somerset could not
doubt that a near and only blood relation, even had he possessed but
half the static force of character that made itself apparent in Mr.
Power, might exercise considerable moral influence over the girl if
he chose. And in view of Mr. Power's marked preference for De Stancy,
Somerset had many misgivings as to its operating in a direction
favourable to himself.

XI.

Somerset was deeply engaged with his draughtsmen and builders during
the three following days, and scarcely entered the occupied wing of the
castle.

At his suggestion Paula had agreed to have the works executed as
such operations were carried out in old times, before the advent of
contractors. Each trade required in the building was to be represented
by a master-tradesman of that denomination, who should stand responsible
for his own section of labour, and for no other, Somerset himself as
chief technicist working out his designs on the spot. By this means the
thoroughness of the workmanship would be greatly increased in comparison
with the modern arrangement, whereby a nominal builder, seldom present,
who can certainly know no more than one trade intimately and well, and
who often does not know that, undertakes the whole.

But notwithstanding its manifest advantages to the proprietor, the plan
added largely to the responsibilities of the architect, who, with
his master-mason, master-carpenter, master-plumber, and what not, had
scarcely a moment to call his own. Still, the method being upon the face
of it the true one, Somerset supervised with a will.

But there seemed to float across the court to him from the inhabited
wing an intimation that things were not as they had been before; that
an influence adverse to himself was at work behind the ashlared face of
inner wall which confronted him. Perhaps this was because he never saw
Paula at the windows, or heard her footfall in that half of the building
given over to himself and his myrmidons. There was really no reason
other than a sentimental one why he should see her. The uninhabited
part of the castle was almost an independent structure, and it was quite
natural to exist for weeks in this wing without coming in contact with
residents in the other.

A more pronounced cause than vague surmise was destined to perturb
him, and this in an unexpecte