aid for in order to gain a few
hundred dollars or a new constituent, aroused his vehement indignation,
and his determination to fight Lamb and his masters to the bitter end of
the Privy Council.

"Mr. Lamb," said the colonel, "is yoar business with my niece
complicated, or is it capable of being stated bhiefly?"

"I can put it in a very few words, Colonel," replied the civil service
official; "the deportment hos received on awffer for Miss Du Plessis'
lond which it would be fawlly to refuse."

"But," interposed the Squire, "the department has naething to dae wi'
Miss Cecile's land: it's her ain, every fit o't."

"You don't know the deportment, Squire. It con take bock lond of its
own deed, especially wild lond, by the awffer of a reasonable equivolent
or indemnity. It proposes to return the purchase money, with five per
cent. interest to date, and the amount of municipal toxes attested by
receipts. Thot is regorded os a fair odjustment, ond on Miss Du Plessis
surrendering her deed to me, the deportment will settle the claim within
twelve months, if press of business ollows."

"Such abominable, thieving iniquity, on the pairt o' a Government
ca'ain' itself leeberal, I never hard o' in aa my life," said the
indignant Squire.

"Do you mean to say, Arthur," asked Mrs. Carmichael, "that your
department can take away Cecile's property in that cavalier fashion, and
without any regard to the rise in values?"

"I'm ofraid so, Mrs. Cormichael."

"What have you to say to that, Mr. Coristine, from a legal standpoint?"
enquired Mrs. Carruthers.

"A deed of land made by the Government, or by a private individual,
conveys, when, as in this case, all provisions have been complied with,
an inalienable title."

"There is such a thing as expropriation," suggested Mr. Lamb, rather
annoyed to find a lawyer there.

"Expropriation is a municipal affair in cities and towns, or it may be
national and provincial in the case of chartered railways or national
parks, in all which cases remuneration is by arbitration, not by the
will of any expropriating body."

"The deportment may regord this as a provincial offair. Ot any rate, it
hos octed in this way before with success."

"I know that the department has induced people to surrender their rights
for the sake of its popularity, but by wheedling, not by law or justice,
and, generally, there has been some condition of payment, or something
else, not complied with."

"Thot's simple