Full of these instructions the agent, after listening to a panegyric upon the resources of Fairfax County, interrupted rather curtly a glowing statement of the colonel's concerning the enormous value of the Garden Spot securities by asking this question:-- "Are the coal lands for sale?" Fitz shivered at its directness, fearing that the colonel would catch the drift affairs were taking and become alarmed. His fears were groundless; the shot had gone over his head. "No, suh! My purpose is to use it to supply our shops and motive power." "If you should decide to sell the lands I would make an investigation at once," replied the agent, quietly, but with meaning in his voice. The colonel looked at him eagerly. "Would you at the same time consider the purchase of our securities?" "I might." "When would you go?" "To-morrow night, or not at all. I return to England in a week." Yancey and the judge looked at each other inquiringly with a certain anxious expression suggestive of some impending trouble. The judge recovered himself first, and quickly filled his glass, leaving but one more measure in the decanter. This measure Yancey immediately emptied into his own person, as perhaps the only place where it would be entirely safe from the treacherous thirst of the judge. Fitz read in their faces these mental processes, and was more determined than ever to break up at once what he called "the settlement." "Are you sho', Colonel," inquired Ker-foot, catching at straws, "that the coal lands lie entirely on yo' father's property? Does not the Barbour lan' jine yo's on the hill?" "I am not positively sho', suh, but I have always understood that what we call the coal hills belonged to my father. You see," said the colonel, turning to the agent, "this grade of wild lan' is never considered of much value with us, and a few hundred acres mo' or less is never insisted on among old families of our standin' whose estates jine." Yancey expanded his vest, and said authoritatively that he was quite sure the coal hills were on the Barbour property. He had shot partridges over that land many a time. The agent, who had listened calmly to the discussion, remarked dryly that until the colonel definitely ascertained whether he had any lands to sell it would be a useless waste of time to make the trip. "Quite so," said Kerfoot, raising the emptied decanter to his eye, and replacing it again with a look at Yancey expressive of the contempt in which he held a man who could commit so mean an act. "But, Colonel," said Fitz, "can't you telegraph to-morrow and find out?" "To whom, my clear Fitz? It would take a week to get the clerk of the co'te to look through the records. Nobody at Bar-hour's knows." "Does Miss Nancy know?" The colonel shook his head dubiously. Fitz's face suddenly lighted up as he started from his seat, and caught the colonel by the arm. "Does Chad?" "Chad! Yes, Chad might."