“Refuse! certainly not; I’ll think of it, and see Courtenay about it. We can talk it over at dinner,” said Mr Summerhayes, walking away calmly towards the house with his wife. This conversation had taken place at the gardener’s cottage, within hearing of Loo, who had all this time been standing at the window. When Mary and her husband went away, the old lawyer uttered a furious and profane exclamation. “He’ll speak to Courtenay. I’m not to be trusted, I suppose; confound the upstart!” cried old Gateshead; “but I shan’t stay here to be insulted by Tom Summerhayes. Lord bless us! what’s the matter, my dear?” This question was addressed to Loo, who came suddenly up to him, overwhelming the old man with the gaze of her great brown eyes. “Tell me only one thing—is Charley disinherited?” said Loo, grasping with her slight but firm fingers the lawyer’s arm. “My dear, you don’t understand it,” said Mr Gateshead. “I understand it perfectly; is Charley disinherited?” asked the anxious girl. “Well, my dear, it depends on circumstances,” said the lawyer; “don’t look at me so fiercely, it is not my doing. The deeds are destroyed—that’s all. I daresay it won’t make any difference. We can prove——Don’t cry, my dear child; _I_‘ll stand by you if he tries to do anything—and you can tell your brother so. It shan’t make any difference if I can help it—don’t cry.” “I don’t mean to cry,” said Loo, with indignation; “is this why the fire was?” The words seemed to drop from her lips before she was aware; then a violent blush rushed over poor Loo’s pale face; she shrank back, and took her hand from his arm, and turned her face away. “I did not mean to say that; I meant to say—I understand,” said Loo, slowly. It was a very woe-begone despairing face that she turned upon him when she looked round again. The old man, who had known her all her life, patted her on the head as if she had been still a child. “Don’t be afraid, my dear, things will come straight; though your stepfather has been rude to me, I will not go away for your sakes,” said Mr Gateshead; but such a conversation as this could not be carried on. The lawyer returned to the house to be present at the investigation into the cause of the fire which Mr Summerhayes was already making; and Loo, for her part, sick at heart, and in a state of the profoundest despair, went out to seek her brother. It was just as well for both that they did not meet that morning; for neither of the two in their hearts had any doubt upon the subject. As for their mother, she kept by her husband’s side, in a state of mind not to be described; taking hope by times; listening with eager anxiety to hear any explanation that could be offered; trying to believe that he only hesitated to replace the destroyed deed because he had no confidence in old Gateshead, and preferred to consult Courtenay; but in her heart feeling, like Charley, that total shipwreck had happened, and that the foundations of the earth were giving way.