eir conversation was this:--

"And I wish, if possible, you would let Clarkson understand that it is
quite useless to send his wife to plague Bella. She agrees with me that
women had better always leave business to their husbands, and I have no
intention of letting her be humbugged out of her property."

"Very well," said Mr. Bellairs, not altogether pleased with this speech,
"only I warn you, Clarkson is an awkward fellow to deal with, and if you
do turn him out, you may expect him to revenge himself in any and every
way he can."

Doctor Morton laughed. "I give him leave," he said. "As long as Bella
knows nothing of the matter, it will not trouble me."

With that he opened the door, and came into the room where his bride
sat entirely unsuspicious of his intentions, or of the way in which her
own innocent words had been made use of.

What Magdalen Scott had said of Doctor Morton on his wedding-day was
perfectly true--he was a hard man. Not cruel or unjust, but keen and
hard. He did no wrong to any one. He could even be liberal and
considerate in his dealings with those who could not wrong him; but he
had neither forbearance nor mercy for those who defrauded him in any way
whatever of his rights. He was fond of his wife, being his wife, but if
she had been poor he would never have thought of marrying her. Her
possessions were, plainly and honestly, of as much value to him as
herself. He would tolerate the loss of the one as soon as that of the
other. The farm at Beaver Creek was the only thing she had brought him
which was not in a satisfactory state; it had cost him considerable
thought during their short engagement, and being extremely prompt and
business-like in his ideas, he had made up his mind that the land should
be cleared at once of intruders, that the wood might be cut down during
the winter, and cultivation begin with the following spring. Having
decided upon this, he was not a person to be turned from his plan by
difficulties. He thought both Mr. Latour and Mr. Bellairs had been
remiss in their work of dealing with the squatters, and felt a sort of
resentment against them for having taken such negligent care of _his_
property. He did not like at present to go so far as to take the case
entirely out of his brother-in-law's hands, but he had decided that it
would be necessary himself to look after, and urge on, the proceedings
which were being taken against Clarkson.

He determined, therefore, that the fi