"
"_Oh!_ Is that fair?" The humble-bee was so hastily poked on to his legs
that he tumbled over again.
"Well, now, we shall test him!" said Victoria quietly. "We shall see what
he does with regard to Mrs. Melrose and her daughter. Harry will have
told you how he went to him yesterday. We had a telephone message this
morning to say that a letter would reach us this afternoon from Mr.
Faversham. Harry will bring it on here; and I asked him to bring Felicia
Melrose with him in the car. We thought you would be interested to see
her."
There was a pause. At last Lydia said slowly:
"How will you test Mr. Faversham? I don't understand."
"Unless the man is an adventurer," said Victoria, straightening her
shoulders, "he will, of course, do his best to put this girl--who is the
rightful heiress--into her proper place. What business has he with Mr.
Melrose's estates?"
Lady Tatham spoke with imperious energy.
Lydia's eyes showed an almost equal animation.
"May he not share with her? Aren't they immense?"
"At present he takes everything--so they say. It looks ugly. A complete
stranger--worming himself in a few weeks or months into an old man's
confidence--and carrying off the inheritance from a pair of helpless
women! And making himself meanwhile the tool of a tyrant!--aiding and
abetting him in all his oppressions!"
"Oh, Lady Tatham! no, no!" cried Lydia--the cry seemed wrung from
her--"I--we--have only known Mr. Faversham this short time--but _how_
can one believe--"
She paused, her eyes under their vividly marked eyebrows painfully
searching the face of her companion.
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