His wife had died a very short while subsequent to the death of his father.

He afterwards married again, a widow lady of the name of Massingbird, who had two nearly grown-up sons.

She had brought her sons home with her to Verner's Pride, and they had made it their home since.
Mr.Verner kept it no secret that his nephew Lionel was to be his heir; and, as such, Lionel was universally regarded on the estate.

"Always provided that you merit it," Mr.Verner would say to Lionel in private; and so he had said to him from the very first.

"Be what you ought to be--what I fondly believe my brother Lionel was: a man of goodness, of honour, of Christian integrity; a _gentleman_ in the highest acceptation of the term--and Verner's Pride shall undoubtedly be yours.