perhaps know, my uncle held this ground on a life
lease from the Droger estate. That is to say, so long as he lived
or refused to vacate that lease, no Droger could oust him nor yet
lift one spadeful of earth from the property."

"Does Sir Ralph desire to do either?"

"He desires to do both. Borings secretly made have manifested the
fact that both Barnsley thick-coal and iron ore underlie the place.
Sir Ralph wishes to tear down the Round House and this building and
to begin mining operations. My uncle, who has been offered the full
value of every stick and stone, has always obstinately refused to
budge one inch or to lessen the lease by one half hour. 'It is for
the term of my life,' he has always said, 'and for the term of my
life I'll hold it!'"

"Oho!" said Cleek; and then puckered up his lips as if about to
whistle.

"Under such circumstances," went on Miss Renfrew, "it was only
natural that I should be horribly frightened, and only too willing
to act upon the constable's suggestion that we at once look into
the Round House and see if everything was right with my uncle."

"Why should the constable suggest that?"

"Everybody in the neighbourhood knows of the bitter ill feeling
existing between the two men; so, of course, it was only natural."

"Hum-m-m! Yes! Just so. Did you act on Constable Gorham's suggestion,
then?"

"Yes. I led the way in here and then up the covered passage to the
laboratory and opened the door. My uncle was sitting exactly as he
had been when I looked in before--his back to me and his face to
the window--but although he did not turn, it was evident that he
was annoyed by my disturbing him, for he growled angrily, 'What the
devil are you coming in here and disturbing me like this for, Jane?
Get out and leave me alone.'"

"Hum-m-m!" said Cleek, drawing down his brows and pinching his chin.
"Any mirrors in the Round House?"

"Mirrors? No, certainly not, Mr. Headland. Why?"

"Nothing--only that I was wondering, if as you say, he never turned
and you never spoke, how in the world he knew that it really _was_
you, that's all."

"Oh, I see what you mean," said Miss Renfrew, knotting up her brows.
"It does seem a little peculiar when one looks at it in that way. I
never thought of it before. Neither can I explain it, Mr. Headland,
any more than to say that I suppose he took it for granted. And,
as it happened, he was right. Besides, as you will remember, I
had intruded upon him only