"two letters for you, mrs. vernon," said robert, as he came to the lady one fine day after a drive in the park.

"thank you, robert," she replied, and gazed at the writing on the envelopes. "i declare one is from my nephew frederic!"

"why, i thought he didn't know where you were," replied the youth.

"i wasn't aware that he did know. i told nobody but mr. farley."

"then perhaps the lawyer told him," suggested our hero.

"no, mr. farley is too discreet for that. the second letter is from him."

without delay mrs. vernon opened frederic's communication and read it. robert saw by her face that she was greatly perplexed.

"this is too bad!" she murmured.

"no bad news, i hope, madam?" said robert.

"it is bad news. read the letter for yourself," and mrs. vernon passed it over.

while robert read vernon's letter, the lady perused the communication from her lawyer. it was on several matters of business, but one passage will certainly interest the reader.

"i have followed your directions and had your nephew watched," wrote mr. farley. "he is very thick with dr. remington, and the pair seem to have some plot between them. will write again in a few days."

"well, robert, what do you think of frederic's letter?" asked mrs. vernon, as she put her lawyer's epistle away.

"do you want me to speak frankly?" replied our hero.

"certainly."

"then let me say that i think it is merely a ruse to get you to come home."

"do you really think so?"

"i do. your nephew knows he can do nothing while you are out of his reach."

"i have thought of that--in fact, that is why i came to england. if i go back, what do you suppose he will do?"

"hire that dr. remington to put you into an asylum, and then try to get control of your money."

"then you do not advise me to go back?"

"no, indeed; at least, not until you have proved to your own satisfaction that what he writes is true."

"i might get mr. farley to investigate."

"then that is just what i was going to suggest. as he is authorized to transact all business for you, he can probably do as much as if you yourself were on the ground."

"yes, i know, but----" mrs. vernon paused and flushed up.

"you hate to expose your family affairs, even to mr. farley," interposed robert. "that is too bad, certainly, but i don't see how it can be helped. sooner or later the truth must come out."

"i am willing to let mr. farley know all--in fact, he knows a good deal already. but the world at large----"

"then tell mr. farley to investigate in private. one thing is sure, i wouldn't go back if i were you."

"i don't know but what you are right, robert. but, oh, it is terrible to think one's relative is so treacherous," concluded mrs. vernon, and she could scarcely keep from weeping.

robert did his best to cheer her up, and then she sat down and dictated a long letter to mr. farley, asking him to investigate the charge against the great lakes lumber company without delay. this letter robert posted before going to bed.

although rather strong appearing, mrs. vernon was in reality quite a delicate woman, and worrying over her nephew's doings soon told on her. she grew pale, and hardly ate at all when she came to the table. robert was quick to notice the change.

"london air doesn't seem to agree with you," he remarked one morning. "don't you think a change might be of benefit?"

"i was considering the question of leaving the city," replied the lady. "perhaps it would be as well for us to take quarters in some pretty town up the thames. i would like to find some place where the driving and boating are both good."

"i am sure it will be an easy matter to obtain what we want if we hunt around a little," said robert.

a few days later they left london and removed to windsor, where the royal palaces are located. here they remained two days, and then settled down at a pretty town which i shall call chishing, located on a small bluff overlooking the thames at a point where the river was both wide and beautiful.

their new boarding place was a pretty two-and-a-half story affair, with a long, low parlor, and an equally long and low dining hall. it was kept by mrs. barlow, a stout, good-natured english woman, who did all in her power to make her visitors comfortable. they had two rooms, which, while they did not connect, were still side by side, and both overlooked the river, and a pretty rose garden besides.

"i know i shall like it here," said mrs. vernon, as she sat by the window of her apartment, drinking in the scene one day at sunset. "robert, what do you think?"

"i will like it, too, for awhile."

"i suppose you are thinking of home."

"i must admit i am. to tell the truth, i am afraid my mother is not very happy."

"i fear you are right." mrs. vernon sighed. "with your mother, it is her husband, while with me, it is my nephew. ah, if only everything in this world would go right for once!"

"well, we have to take things as they come, and make the best of them," replied our hero.

the next day there was a letter for him from his mother. in this mrs. talbot mentioned his communications, and told how she had come to let her husband have the thirteen thousand dollars. she concluded by stating that she was afraid she had made a big mistake.

"i am certain she has made a big mistake," said robert to himself. "mr. talbot will never give the money back, and i know it. i think she is doing enough by supporting him. i don't believe he has done a stroke of work since he was sick."

robert soon felt at home, and on the third day went down to the river to take a row, a pastime of which he had been fond while at home.

as he passed to the dock where boats could be hired, he ran plump into a red-headed boy named sammy gump. sammy was strong and heavy set, and had been the bully of chishing for several years.

"hullo, yankee, where are you going?" he demanded, as he pushed robert roughly.

"i am going to attend to my own business," replied our hero quietly. "have you any objection?"

"dreadful fine clothes you have got; oh, dear!" smirked sammy. "we are dressed for the ball, we are!"

"let me pass," demanded robert, and tried to go around the bully, who suddenly pushed him, and tried to trip him in the dust of the road.

but for once sammy gump had reckoned without his host, for although he sent robert staggering several yards, our hero did not fall.

gump expected robert to beat a retreat, and was taken aback when the boy came forward with clenched fists.

"what do you mean by treating me like that?" demanded robert.

"oh, go along with you!" howled the bully. "if you don't like it, do the other thing."

"you are mighty impudent about it."

"am i?" sneered sammy. "say, yankee, how do you like that?"

and he slapped robert on the cheek.

if our hero was surprised that instant, the bully was more surprised the instant after, for hauling back, robert let fly with his fist, and took sammy gump fairly and squarely in the mouth, a direct blow that landed the bully flat on his back and loosened two of his teeth.

"wh--what did yo--you do that for?" he spluttered, as after an effort he arose and glared at robert.

"to teach you a lesson, you overgrown bully," replied robert. "the next time, i imagine, you will know enough to leave me alone." and then he passed along to the dock to hire the rowboat.

sammy gump glared after him in baffled rage. "all right; you just wait," he muttered. "nobody ever struck me yet but what he didn't rue it afterward!"