is something
shocking!"

It was not surprising that Herbert Penfold's sudden assertion of his
will was a shock to his sisters. These ladies had so long been
accustomed to rule absolutely at Penfold Hall that Mr. Penfold's
assertion of his right to act as he pleased in his own house came upon
them like an act of absolute rebellion. At their father's death they
were women of twenty-seven and twenty-six years old respectively.
Herbert was a lad of sixteen. He was of a gentle and yielding
disposition; and as their father for some years previous to his death
had been a confirmed invalid, and they had had the complete management
of the house, it was but natural that at his death they should
continue in the same position.

Owing to weak health, Herbert had not been sent to school, but had
been educated under the care of a tutor. He had wished when he reached
the age of nineteen to enter one of the universities; but his sisters
had been so opposed to the idea, and had represented so strongly to
him his unfitness to take part in the rough sports of the young men,
and how completely he would feel out of place in such companionship,
that he had abandoned the idea, and had traveled on the Continent for
three years with his tutor, his sisters being for most of the time of
the party. Soon after his return he had fallen in love with the
daughter of Colonel Vernon, an officer living on half-pay at Poole,
which was the nearest town to Penfold Hall. The announcement of his
engagement came like a thunder-clap upon his sisters, who had agreed
that it would be in all respects desirable that Herbert should not
marry for some years.

They had, however, been wise enough not to offer any open opposition
to the match. Three months later the engagement was broken off. How it
came about no one exactly knew. Unpleasant reports were set on foot;
there were misunderstandings which should easily have been cleared up,
but which grew until they gave rise to serious quarrels. Letters which
might have set matters straight somehow failed to come to hand; and so
at last things went from bad to worse until there was a final quarrel,
a return of letters and presents on both sides, and a final breaking
off of the engagement. A year later Mary Vernon married Mr. Conway, an
architect, resident in London.

Mr. Penfold had before this become convinced that Mary Vernon had not
been to blame in the matter, and that he had in some way or other
taken an altoget