"She seemed angry, and accused me of prying into her actions."
"What opinion did you form of her object at that time?" asked the lawyer.
"I thought she was looking for the will," said John, frankly.
"Are your relations with your stepmother pleasant?" asked Squire Selwyn.
"I am sorry to say they are not," said John. "If they had been, I would not have troubled myself about the will. But I can see that Mrs. Oakley is determined to persecute me, and make my life unhappy, and that she is determined not to carry out any of my father's plans about my education. She has already taken away my horse, and sold it. She intended to give it to Ben, but he had an unlucky adventure with it one afternoon."
"I heard of that," said the lawyer, smiling. "He got thrown, didn't he?"
"Yes, sir. That cured him of wanting to ride, and so the horse was sold."
"It was a present to you from your father, was it not?"
"Yes, sir. Ben received at the same time a gold watch, which he still has."