oud of. Her
pride in, and loving care of, her mother was, indeed, evident enough.
Even his eyes could see how much more thought had been expended upon the
invalid's toilet than upon her daughter's, of which the most that could
be said was that it was neat as any village girl's might be.

Mrs. Verschoyle received the stranger with the simple courtesy of good
breeding. There was no allusion by word or look to the altered fortunes
of the house; no attempt at explanation; but a simple, earnest welcome
which had its full effect upon Allan Meredith. He noticed, too, at the
table that no apologies were made for the dinner, until the contemptuous
shrug of the shoulders which Laurence gave as he glanced from the dish
of curried mutton at one end to the remainder of the same joint that
served as the roast at the other, called forth the reply:

"It is the best I could do, Laurence. There was no time to send into the
town, and I hoped that Mr. Meredith might have sufficient appetite after
his walk, perhaps, to be able to dine on what we have"; apologizing to
her brother, as she had not felt it to be necessary to apologize to
their guest.

"That am I, Miss Verschoyle," he said, determined that she should see no
lack of appreciation on his side. "I have eaten only a biscuit since
eight o'clock this morning"; going on to explain what had brought him to
the neighbourhood. "I had got a little out of condition from overwork,
and----"

"Overwork!" put in Laurence. "Of what kind?"

"Oh, you know I used to have a fancy for comparing evidence, and
latterly I have plodded a little too closely in getting at some I
wanted," speaking a little hesitatingly and awkwardly in his desire to
avoid seeming to pose. "I needed change of scene and more out-of-door
exercise. It happened that a final settlement had, just now, to be made
about a small property my father had in this county, and I thought it
would be an object, or at any rate give me the change of scene they
talked about, to go and look after the sale myself."

"I did not know you owned property in this direction, Meredith."

"It was of very little importance; only a small farm; but there was some
competition for it, on account of its joining Lord Drayltown's property.
He wanted to take it into his park."

"Did you let him have it?"

"No; it was not so much a question of money with me, and the tenant who
had held it so long, and done his best for the house and land, had, I
considere