“And I’ll not be threatened by you,” retorted Agnes, all her blood up. “You have not the slightest right here except you were allowed by mother to come. You surely have not been here long enough to claim the place in any such way as that.” “I don’t make my claim any such way. You haven’t a notion of who I am, I suppose.” “You are the man whom my mother allowed to live here till she should come and take her own.” “I am not the one who is allowed here; I am the one who belongs here, and your grandfather knew it. It was a foolish move of yours, young woman, to come out here. Better let sleeping dogs lie. Was there nobody to give you better advice?” “I didn’t ask any. I came because father couldn’t. We have travelled away out here to get this place that my grandfather left, and we are going to have it.” The man regarded her gloomily. “I don’t doubt you’re who you say you are,” he said at last. “Your mother was your grandfather’s only child, I believe you told me. I suppose he always told her that.” “There was no need. She was the first-born, and no sisters nor brothers came to her.” “Your grandfather’s papers were looked into, I suppose. There was no will?” “No; father said no doubt he meant to make one. He had spoken of it several times, but as my mother was the only child, there seemed no need, and father said the law would give everything to mother anyhow, and it was all very plain. Grandfather left some papers in father’s hands when he last came to Carlisle, and the deed was among them.” The man smiled grimly. “Well, young woman, I have just this piece of advice to give you. Go back where you came from. You will have to stay here to-night, but to-morrow I’ll drive you to Mayo, and you and your father can travel back east the best way you can get there. I don’t often give away anything for nothing, but I’m going to give this advice free, and you’d better take it if you know what is good for you.” “And if I don’t take it?” “Then you’ll have to take the consequences, which will not be pleasant.” Agnes shook her head, but stood considering before she spoke again. “There is not a thing to be afraid of,” she told herself. “I don’t know why this man is trying to scare me, but one thing I do know, and that is that there is no reason why we should give up our rights. I should think my father ought to know what belongs to us and what doesn’t.”--“Now,” turning to the man, “who are you, that you insist upon staying on this place which you know does not belong to you?” The man drew himself up to his full height. He towered above the girl and looked down at her with an expression of bitter resentment. “My name is Humphrey Muirhead,” he said. “I am your grandfather’s eldest child.” Agnes started back as this announcement was made, her first feeling being one of sharp indignation. “No, no,” she cried, “I cannot believe you.”