[Illustration: "'I HAD FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT IT,' SAID THE SQUIRE."] "Poor fellow! But it was Fate, of course--Fate," said the Squire. "And the old house will, of course, go to his heirs. Come, Rupert, let us go; we have no right here." "Pardon me," said the solicitor, "I could not allow this--pardon me, Sir Rupert--this mad whim of yours to develop its consequences unchecked. I took care that John Puddifoot executed a proper will, leaving the property again to you." Once more the Squire caught up the child, and interposed himself between it and all comers. "Please to send for George Benton, the labourer," he said, hurriedly. "And bring him to me in the study." "George Benton," said the Squire, when the solicitor and the labourer had joined him in the study, "I am very anxious to carry out a scheme I have formed for the bettering of the condition of my tenants. You can assist me greatly. I believe you to be a trustworthy man; and I am about to make over to you this house, lately the property of John Puddifoot, who has met with such a deplorable accident. I may as well declare you at once, in the presence of Mr. Pergamen, who will testify to the declaration, absolute owner of this house." The labourer rubbed his forehead with a hard, broad finger, and stammered something about asking the missis at 'ome; but the Squire cut him short with: "You must do this thing as a great favour to me--it is a pet fad of mine. At some future time I may possibly ask you to restore the property to me. Until then--even should that occur--consider, you will be absolute master here; you will be well off, for a considerable portion of the rents go with the house. You accept?" The labourer could not avoid stammering his acceptance. "You are master here," said the Squire, quickly and nervously, as one with misgivings; "behave as master--I and--and Master Rupert are intruders here, having no right here. Will you oblige me by ordering us out?" In a dazed, mechanical way the labourer did as he was requested. "May I find a home, for a day or two, in your cottage?--ah, it would be a convenience. Thank you," said the Squire; and in another ten minutes he had arrived at the cottage and packed off the labourer's wife and children to Grange, absolutely preventing her, by voluble assurances of the safety of all her belongings, from taking away any articles with her. Then the door was locked; and the searching began over again, and lasted the rest of the day.