ith tears. So did her brother's.

"Dearest Kate," said he, with emotion, affectionately grasping her
little hand, "you have triumphed! The old tree shall never be cut down
in my time! Waters, let the tree stand; and if anything _is_ to be done
to it--let the greatest possible _care_ be taken of it." Miss Aubrey
turned her head aside to conceal her emotion. Had they been alone, she
would have flung her arms round her brother's neck.

"If I were to speak my mind, sir," said the compliant Waters, seeing the
turn things were taking, "I should say, with our young lady, the old
tree's quite a kind of ornament in this here situation, and (as one
might say) it sets off the rest." [It was he who had been worrying Mr.
Aubrey for these last three years to have it cut down!]

"Well," replied Mr. Aubrey, "however that may be, let me hear no more of
cutting it down--Ah! what does old Jolter want here?" said he, observing
an old tenant of that name, almost bent double with age, hobbling
towards them. He was wrapped up in a coarse thick blue coat; his hair
was long and white; his eyes dim and glassy with age.

"I don't know, sir--I'll go and see," said Waters.

"What's the matter, Jolter?" he inquired, stepping forward to meet him.

"Nothing much, sir," replied the old man, feebly, and panting, taking
off his hat, and bowing very low towards Mr. and Miss Aubrey.

"Put your hat on, my old friend," said Mr. Aubrey, kindly.

"I only come to bring you this bit of paper, sir, if you please," said
the old man, addressing Waters. "You said, a while ago, as how I was
always to bring you papers that were left with me; and this"--taking one
out of his pocket--"was left with me only about an hour ago. It's
seemingly a lawyer's paper, and was left by an uncommon gay young chap.
He asked me my name, and then he looked at the paper, and read it all
over to me, but I couldn't make anything of it."

"What is it?" inquired Mr. Aubrey, as Waters cast his eye over a sheet
of paper, partly printed and partly written.

"Why, it seems the old story, sir--that slip of waste land, sir. Mr.
Tomkins is at it again, sir."

"Well, if he chooses to spend his money in that way, I can't help it,"
said Mr. Aubrey, with a smile. "Let me look at the paper." He did so.
"Yes, it seems the same kind of thing as before. Well," handing it back,
"send it to Mr. Parkinson, and tell him to look to it; and, at all
events, take care that poor old Jolter comes to no tr