"My business and Andrew's should be worth a good deal to you, though Maxwell seemed to think that both could be improved." "Maxwell couldn't get you a penny more than I have got," Judson declared. "I should be very sorry if you contemplated a change." "I shouldn't do so without a strong reason. You look after the Reverend Robert Allinson's property, but your commission on it can't be large." "It is not," said Judson, beginning to understand where the other's remarks led. "Well," went on Wannop, "I saw Mrs. Olcott yesterday, and she mentioned the misunderstanding about her lease. I may tell you that Mrs. Wannop and Miss Allinson are friends of hers." Judson was surprised, but decided that if he must offend either Wannop or the clergyman, it would better be the latter. "Mr. Andrew called here in a hurry and said he had got a tenant for The Firs and I was to have some alterations made. He was driving, and as his horse was restive he ran out before we could talk over details." Wannop thought this was correct, for Andrew was sometimes careless. "Atkinson will take the field off your hands. It's not usual to charge a tenant with needful repairs; and you mustn't be hard on Mrs. Olcott about the rent. Perhaps you had better go over and put things straight with her." Judson promised to do so and Wannop took out some papers. "Here's a more important matter. I've decided to buy Bell's place, and you can see his agent and the architect as soon as convenient." He rode away, knowing that his hints would be attended to. During the evening he met Hilda. "I've seen Mrs. Olcott and Judson," he told her. "It's very unlikely that she'll have any more trouble about The Firs." "That's splendid!" cried Hilda. "But how did you manage it?" Wannop chuckled. "My dear girl, an explanation isn't always desirable. When you know how a thing's done it spoils the trick." "Oh, well," said Hilda, "it doesn't matter, but you have a suspiciously complacent look. One could imagine that you felt satisfied with yourself." "There's some truth in that," Wannop laughed. "I feel that we have held our own against the more brilliant members of the family. But here's Robert!" The clergyman appeared around a turn in the road and joined them. "You seem amused," he remarked. "May I share the joke?" "The point's involved," Wannop said. "However, you'll agree that the wisest people's plans sometimes fail." "I can't deny it," said Robert, looking puzzled. "Still, I fail to understand what the failure of wise people's plans has to do with us." "As a modest man," said Wannop, "I'll admit that it doesn't seem to have much to do with me." CHAPTER IV THE LAKE OF SHADOWS