"Taken a fancy to the place, has he? I'll make him take a fancy to go. The sooner he's out of Lescombe the better. Like to buy the manor, perhaps? But I'll make it too hot for him. And you, Denis, understand me at once. I can't interfere about the title; but look here, sir, you marry as I wish you to,--keep up the dignity of our family tree. You are the head, sir, but if you don't do as I tell you, sir, not a penny do you have to support the title, for I'll disinherit you. Yes, sir, you think you're a devilish fine branch, no doubt, but damme, I'll saw you off!" As his lordship spoke, he bounced out of the dining-room, banged the door, and directly after mother and son saw him going straight across the fields to inspect the hoarding he had ordered to be put up. "I am very sorry, Denis, my dear," said Lady Pinemount. "Can't be helped, mother dear," said the young man, passing his arm round her and walking up towards the window, where they stood watching his lordship's diminishing figure. "I want to be a good son, and I never kick against the dad's eccentricities, except when they are too bad. That is such a petty, ungentlemanly trick--an insult to as fine a fellow as ever breathed, and--" "You do love Veronica, my boy?" said Lady Pinemount, gazing wistfully at her son. "Love her?" said the young man, with his frank, handsome English face lighting. "Mother dear, could I pick out a sweeter wife?" Lady Pinemount sighed, and kissed her son. VOLUME ONE, CHAPTER THREE. HOW THE DOCTOR HIT. "Down again, Very!" cried the Doctor, a week later, as he came in from a botanical ramble to breakfast. "Why, eh?--yes--no: it has been burned." "Yes, papa: didn't you see the flames?" "Not I. Slept like a top, and I went out through the sandpits and among the fir trees this morning." He hurried out of the French window, and out into the road, and looked over the hedge into the park and then returned. "Seems to have been splashed with petroleum or paraffin. Twice cut down, and once burned. Well, somebody else does not like the hoarding." "But, papa, you gave orders for it to be destroyed!" "I? Hang it all, Very, am I the sort of man to do such a shabby thing?" "No, papa: I beg your pardon." "Granted, pet. Some one in the village thinks it's a paltry thing to do, and has constituted himself our champion. Confound his insolence! What did he say in his letter?" "That if you dared to destroy his property, he would prosecute you, papa," said Veronica. "Yes, and he has sent me a summons." "Oh, papa!" "Fact, my dear; and I shall be puzzled as to how to defend myself and prove my innocency. I say, Very, my dear, this looks bad for you." The girl sighed, and bent over her cup.