f the
estate in favor of my cousin Mark, who has always believed that it would
be his."

"And I as absolutely refuse to accept the sacrifice," Mark said.

"My dear young lady," Mr. Prendergast said quietly, "at present, at any
rate, you have no power whatever to take any action in the matter; you
are, in the eye of the law, an infant, and until you come of age you
have no power to execute any legal document whatever. Therefore you
must perforce remain mistress of the estate until you attain the age of
twenty-one. Many things may happen before that time; for example, you
might marry, and in that case your husband would have a voice in the
matter; you might die, in which case Mr. Mark Thorndyke would, without
any effort on your part, come into possession of the estate. But, at any
rate, until you reach the age of twenty-one your trustees will collect
the rents of the estate on your behalf, and will hold the monies in
trust for you, making, of course, such payments for your support and
maintenance as are fit and proper for your condition."

The tears came into Millicent's eyes as she resumed the seat from which
she had risen, and she did not utter another word until Mr. Prendergast
rose to leave.

"I shall doubtless learn your wishes as to the future, Miss Thorndyke,
from your cousin," he said. "I hope that you will not cherish any
malice against me, and that when you think it over you will come to the
conclusion that second thoughts are sometimes the wisest, and also that
you should have some consideration for your father's wishes in a matter
of this kind. He worked hard and risked his life to build up the fortune
that he has left. He evidently thought greatly of your welfare, and was,
above all things, anxious to insure your happiness. I am sure that on
thinking it over you will see that you should not thwart his wishes."

"My dear boy," he said to Mark, as they stood on the doorstep waiting
for the carriage to come round, "the best plan by far in this business
would be for the interests of your cousin and yourself to be identical.
She is a very charming young lady, a little headstrong in this matter,
perhaps, but I do not think that that is altogether unnatural."

"That might have come about if it had not been for the property, Mr.
Prendergast," Mark said, "but it cannot be now. If she and I had been
engaged before all this happened the case would have been different; but
you see yourself that now my lips are seal