se for sale."

"No, Millicent," Mark said calmly. "I only want you to have the same
advantages that other girls have, neither more nor less, and for you
to enjoy yourself as others do. There is nothing undignified or
objectionable about that, especially as we are agreed that nothing shall
be said about your fortune. Well, we will think it over. Mr. Prendergast
and I certainly do not wish to act as tyrants, and there is no occasion
to come to a decision in a hurry. We have only discovered our good
fortune today, and can scarcely appreciate the difference that it will
make to us. We can think over what will be for the best at our leisure,
and see if we cannot hit upon some plan that will be agreeable to you."

"Thank you, Mark," she said gratefully. "I am afraid that you must think
me very disagreeable and cross; but though you, as a man, have not the
same sort of feelings, I can assure you that I feel all this money and
so on to be a heavy burden; and were it not for your sake I could wish
heartily that this treasure had never been discovered at all."

"I can quite understand that," he said quietly. "At the present moment,
even, I do not see that it will be of much advantage to me; but it may
be that some day I shall see it in a different light. It has come upon
me almost as suddenly as it has upon you. I thought that after I had
finished with the Bastow affair I should set to work to find out this
treasure, and that it would probably take me out to India, occupy me
there for some time, and that afterwards I might travel through other
places, and be away from England three or four years. Now the matter
is altogether altered, and I shall be some time before I form any fresh
plans. In fact, these must depend upon circumstances."

Mrs. Cunningham had left the room two or three minutes before, thinking
that Mark might be able to talk her charge into a more reasonable state
of mind were he alone with her, and he added:

"Of one circumstance in particular."

She looked up inquiringly.

"Well, Millicent, it depends a great deal upon you. I know you think
that all that has happened during the past year has been a little hard
upon you, and I thoroughly agree with you; you were fond of Crowswood,
and were very happy there, and the change to this somewhat dull house,
just at a time when you are of an age to enjoy pleasure, has been a
trial. Then, too, there has been this question of the estate upon your
mind. But you must re