t the plum tree down?"

"My conscience!" was Carnaby's unexpected reply. He was as red as
fire, but his glance did not falter. Mrs. de Tracy rose. Not a muscle
of her face had moved.

"Whatever your action has been, Carnaby," she said with dignity--"whether
foolish and disgraceful, or criminal and dangerous, it cannot be
discussed here. You will follow me at once to the library, and
presently I may send for Mark. A lawyer's advice will probably be
necessary," she added grimly.

Carnaby said not a word. He opened the door for his grandmother and
followed her out; but as he passed Robinette, he looked at her
earnestly, half expecting her applause; for one of the motives in his
boyish mind had certainly been to please her--to shine in her eyes as
the doer of bold deeds and to avenge her nurse's wrongs. And all that
he had managed was to make her cry!

For Robinette had put her elbows on the table and had covered her eyes
with her hands. As he left the room, Carnaby could hear her
exclamation:--

"To cut down that tree! That beautiful, beautiful, fruitful thing! O!
how could anyone do it?"

So this was justice; this was all he got for his pains! How
unaccountable women were!

Lavendar awaited some time his summons to join Mrs. de Tracy and her
grandson in what seemed to him must be a portentous interview enough,
trying meanwhile somewhat unsuccessfully to console Mrs. Loring for
the destruction of the plum tree, and exchanging with her somewhat
awe-struck comments on the scene they had both just witnessed. No
summons came, however; but half an hour later, he came across Carnaby
alone, and an interview promptly ensued. He wanted to plumb the depth
of the boy-mind and to learn exactly what motives had prompted
Carnaby to this sudden and startling action in the matter of the plum
tree.

"Had you a bad quarter of an hour with your grandmother?" was his
first question. Carnaby, he thought, looked subdued, and not much
wonder.

The boy hesitated.

"Not so bad as I expected," was his answer. "The old lady was
wonderfully decent, for her. She gave me a talking to, of course."

"I should hope so!" interpolated Lavendar drily.

"She jawed away about our poverty," continued Carnaby. "She's got
that on the brain, as you know. She said that this loss of the
money--Waller R. A.'s money, she means, of course--is an awful blow.
She _said_ it was, but it seemed to me--" Carnaby paused, looking
extremely puzzled.

"It see