“Miss Farrell, sir!” said the maid, throwing open the door of the library.

And Ruth walked forward, followed closely by Mollie.

It was a long, narrow room, lined with book-shelves, and the solitary light from a crimson-shaded lamp on the central table gave an air of gloom after the bright illumination of the hall without.  On a lounge-chair beside the table sat Bernard Farrell, looking more cadaverous than ever, with a velvet-skull-cap over his whitened locks.  He did not rise as his great-nieces approached, but held out his hand in a greeting which was courteous enough, if somewhat cold.

“How do you do?  I am pleased to see you.  Excuse me for not having met you earlier, but I am not feeling well to-day.  I trust you have received every attention since your arrival at the Court.  Mrs Wolff had my instructions to look after your comfort.”

“Thank you, yes; we had tea in our room-a lovely room.  We are looking forward to enjoying the view from that splendid window!”

“Ah, yes; it is very fine in clear weather!  Please make yourselves at home, and ask for anything that you need.  The servants are good, but they are unused to visitors.  Have no hesitation in keeping them up to their duties.  Will you be seated?  In a few minutes we can, I hope, begin the business of the hour.”

He waved them towards some chairs which were ranged before his table.  Four chairs!  In the twinkling of an eye the girls had grasped both the number and what it implied.  Two other guests at least were at present in the house, and equally interested with themselves in the coming discussion.  Their advent was evidently momentarily expected, for Mr Farrell turned an impatient glance at the clock, and even as he did so the door opened once more and two young men entered the room.  One was tall and dark, with an olive skin, and a curious, veiled look about his eyes, caused by the presence of short but abnormally thick black lashes.  Viewed in profile the lashes entirely hid the eye, but the effect of the thick black line was, singularly enough, rather attractive than the reverse.  He had a dark moustache, and his chin was square and well-developed.

His companion was-well! the girls felt that they might have guessed it before, as one of the awkward things which was bound to happen.  He was the stranger of the railway carriage, the supercilious personage whom they had flattered themselves they would never see again!

Like the two girls, the new-comers had evidently not seen their host before, for they were greeted by him with practically the same phrases; and then came a general introduction.

“I must make you known to your fellow-guests-Mr Jack Melland, Mr Victor Druce-Miss Farrell, Miss Mary Farrell.  Mr Melland and Mr Druce are great-nephews of my late wife.  Miss Farrell and her sister are my own nephew’s only children.”

The two young men turned towards the girls with curious glances.  Over Mr Jack Melland’s face flitted an amused glance of recognition.  His companion’s dark eyes widened with a curious scrutiny; then the lashes dropped, and hid them from sight.  Seen thus, with mouth and eyes alike veiled, the face was a mask devoid of expression; yet Mollie had a conviction that she had surprised something closely approaching disappointment in that fleeting glance.  Why the sight of Ruth and herself had affected the stranger in so unpleasant a fashion it was difficult to understand; but the impression remained.  Her eyes travelled upward to the face of Jack Melland, and marvelled at the contrast.

“His face betrays him, in spite of himself.  His nostrils alone would give him away,” she told herself, smiling.  “He is cross, the other inscrutable; Ruth is frightened, and I am amused.  We look like four school-children seated in a row, with Uncle Bernard as the teacher...  When is the lesson to begin?”

At once, apparently; for Mr Farrell lost no time in preliminaries, but began his explanation as soon as the young men were seated.

“I have asked you to meet me here as soon as possible after your arrival, for it is better that we should understand each other from the beginning.  You have thought it strange, no doubt, that, after having had no communication with your families for so many years, I should suddenly develop a desire for your company.  Circumstances have, however, materially altered for me during the last few weeks by the discovery that it is necessary that my affairs should be settled without delay.

“I have, as you know, no child left to inherit, and as this place is not entailed, it is entirely in my hands to bequeath as I think fit.  Until now-for reasons which you may perhaps understand-the idea of making a will has been so painful that I have continually postponed the ordeal; but my doctor, who is also my old friend, has convinced me that I must delay no longer.

“I am suffering from an affection of the heart which makes it impossible that I can live longer than a couple of years, and probably the time may be but a few months.  He has urged me, therefore, to settle business affairs, so that I might spend the remainder of my days undisturbed; but to decide on a suitable heir is not an easy matter.  I am, as you may have heard, a very rich man, and I hold strong, and perhaps somewhat unusual, ideas as to the qualifications which are necessary for the owner of great wealth.  It is not my intention to divide the inheritance in any way, therefore it is the more important to make a right choice.”

He paused for a moment, and the four young people looked up sharply.  Victor Druce’s eyes roved quickly from one to the other of his three companions.  Jack Melland’s lips closed more tightly than before.  Ruth’s cheeks glowed with a carmine flush.  She was the nearest relation; hers was the first claim!  Her heart beat with quick, sickening thuds; only Mollie looked frankly curious and unperturbed.

“As I said before,” continued Mr Farrell, “we are, so far, complete strangers to each other; but I judge you all to hold equal rights to anything which I have to leave.  Ruth and Mary are my nearest legal relations; but my wife’s people always ranked with me as my own, and, other things being equal, I should prefer a male heir.  I make no point of the name; the Court is not an estate which has descended to me from many generations of ancestors.  My father bought it from the late owner, so there is no real reason why a Farrell should necessarily inherit.

“It is from one of your number, then, that I shall adopt my heir; but, in order to do so, I must have some knowledge of your respective characters and attainments.  As I said before, I hold somewhat unusual views.  What the world in general would probably consider the best qualification for the owner of a big estate is, in my eyes, an insuperable objection.  What I look to find, others might regard as a fault.  We all have our own ideas, and must act according to our lights.  I wish then, in the first place, to make your acquaintance but do not be afraid that I shall make the task too unpleasant.

“For the furtherance of my plan, I should wish you to lead as full and interesting a life as may be.  The Court has been shut up for years, but its doors can now be thrown open for your benefit.  You are free to come and go, to invite whom you will, and no doubt the neighbourhood will be eager to meet you half-way.  My own health will not permit me to arrange your amusements; but I give you the use of my house, carte blanche as regards expenses, and Mrs Wolff to play propriety-the rest you must arrange for yourselves.  If each in turn took the management of affairs for a few weeks at a time, it would meet my views, as helping me to form the necessary ideas of character and tastes.”

There was a simultaneous movement of surprise on the part of the listeners, and one and the same word was repeated by four pairs of lips-

“Weeks!”

Mr Farrell smiled grimly.

“You are surprised at the time implied.  My invitations were intentionally vague, for I had not at the time made up my mind as to various details.  I have now decided that for the proper development of my scheme three months at least will be necessary.  I therefore invite you to be my guests at the Court during that period.”

Again came the involuntary, simultaneous start of surprise, and Jack Melland cried hastily-

“It is impossible!  I am obliged to you, sir; but it is quite impossible, so far as I am concerned.  My business-”

“My-my mother!” cried Ruth.  “We could not leave her so long; she needs our help-”

Mr Farrell interrupted with upraised hand.

“We will defer objections, if you please!  I am prepared to meet and answer them, later on.  For the present I ask you to think quietly over the prospect which lies before you, and to consider how far such obstacles as you have mentioned should be allowed to stand in the way.  Surely the object is worth some temporary inconvenience or loss.  This house, and all that it contains, with various properties bringing in an income of over ten thousand a year, will in due course become the property of one of your number-of the one who best fulfils a certain condition which I consider essential.”

“And the condition-the condition?” queried Mollie eagerly.

Mr Farrell looked at her in silence, while a grim smile passed over his features.

“That,” he said slowly-“that, my dear Miss Mary,-will be discovered, with other things,-when you hear my will read aloud on the day of my funeral?”