roffered meeting. As I would wish, however, that my
son's child should receive a fitting education, I am about to place
to her credit the sum of L200 per annum to defray her expenses at
any good school that you may select from a list which will be
submitted to you shortly by my solicitor. He has full instructions
to conduct all further arrangements, and I should prefer any future
communication from you to be only of a business character.--Believe
me to remain yours truly EVERARD STEWART."

Mrs. Stewart flung down the letter with a cry of indignation.

[Illustration: Mrs. Stewart and Isobel on the moor (page 203).]

"What does he mean?" she asked herself. "Where can he have seen Isobel?
To my knowledge she has spoken to nobody except this old Colonel Smith
and a few of the townspeople. How can he have 'noted her disposition,
demeanour, and tastes'? And if so, what fault can he possibly find with
my darling? Is it mere prejudice, and a determination on his part to
avoid any reconciliation? If I were not so wretchedly poor, I would not
accept one farthing of this money for her. But I must! I must! It is not
right that my pride should stand in the way of her education, and for
this I must humble myself to take his charity. He is a stern man to have
kept up the ill-feeling for so many years. Every line of his letter
shows that he is opposed to me still, though he has never seen me in his
life; and instead of loving Isobel for her father's sake, he is prepared
to hate her for mine. We are so friendless and alone in the world that
it seems hard the one relation who I thought might have taken an
interest in my child should cast her off thus. Well, it makes her doubly
mine, and if she can never know her grandfather's beautiful home, my
love must be compensation for what she has lost. My one little ewe lamb
is everything to me; and though I would have given her up for the sake
of seeing her recognized, it would have nearly broken my heart to part
with her."

She put the letter carefully away, and went down again to the
sitting-room, where Isobel was standing by the window, gazing
disconsolately at the streaming rain, with just a suspicion of two
rain-drops in her eyes, for she did not like to be left alone, and Mrs.
Stewart had been long upstairs.

"Never mind, my sweet one," said her mother, stroking the pretty, smooth
hair. "It is a disappointing day, but we will manage t