t-roll is about L3,000 a year."

"Very nice indeed!" Julian said. "Well, I won't ask any more questions
till we get there."

A gentleman appeared at the door as the carriage drove up. He shook
hands warmly with Frank, who introduced him to his companions as Mr.
James Linton, solicitor to the Russian embassy. The gentleman led the
way to a very handsome drawing-room, then he looked inquiringly at
Frank, who nodded. From a mahogany box on the table Mr. Linton produced
a large packet of papers.

"Mr. Wyatt," he said to Julian, "it is my pleasant duty to present you
with these documents. They are the title-deeds of this mansion and the
surrounding property. In purchasing them I have followed out the
instructions of Count Woronski, and have had the benefit of the
assistance of your brother in selecting an estate that would, he
thought, from its situation, be agreeable to you."

Julian looked at the speaker as if unable to take in the sense of his
words.

"I beg your pardon," he said hesitatingly. "I don't think I quite
understand you."

"It is as I said, Mr. Wyatt. Count Woronski wrote to me expressing his
desire to present you with an estate here as some slight token, as he
expressed it, of the enormous obligation under which you have placed him
and the countess, his wife. I may say that his instructions to me would
have authorized the purchase of a much larger estate than this, but he
begged me to be guided by the advice of your brother, Captain Wyatt, in
the matter, and the latter obliged me by taking the responsibility of
choosing an estate off my hands, and has selected this. My part in the
business has therefore been confined to carrying out the legal part in
the matter and completing the purchase."

"My dear Frank," Julian said, "this is monstrous."

"I have only carried out the wishes of the count, Julian. He and the
countess had a long conversation with me, and it was with some
reluctance that I accepted the mission to select an estate for you, and
only because he said that if I refused, he should have to request the
Russian ambassador to ask one of his secretaries to do so, and that it
would be very much more satisfactory to him that the place chosen should
be, in point of situation and other respects, just what you would
yourself like."

"I am overpowered, Mr. Linton. It has all come upon me so much by
surprise that I do not know what I ought to say or do."

"There can be no doubt what you ought to do