ia was Mrs. Sartin's second daughter, midway between Sam and Jim,
and was just installed as second lady's-maid to Mrs. Wyatt.

"Is Sam more reconciled to her going out?"

"Not a bit. You know he wanted to send her to a Young Ladies' Academy
in Battersea. I know he'd have done it but for Martha, who has more
sense in her fingers than he has in his whole head."

"Hadn't Maria anything to say in the matter?" This from Caesar.

"No one has much to say when Sam and his mother dispute," said
Christopher, shaking his head. "Sam would be a tyrant, Caesar, if he
could. He always wants to push people on in his own way."

"Sam is not singular," put in Mr. Aston, in his meditative way,
"character is all more or less a question of degree. There are the
same fundamental instincts in all of us. Some get developed at the
expense of others, that's all."

"There but for the grace of God goes ..." said Patricia, laughing.

Christopher felt in his pocket and produced a coin.

"Apropos of which, Caesar," he said with a flicker of a smile, "I found
this, the other day rummaging in an old box."

He tossed it dexterously to Caesar. It was a sovereign with a hole in
it and the broken link of a chain therein. Caesar looked at it and then
slipped it in his own pocket.

"It's mine, at all events," he said shortly, "and we are all talking
nonsense, especially Christopher."

But Christopher shook his head.

"Mayn't I understand all this?" demanded Patricia.

"No," returned Caesar, before Christopher could speak. "It's not worth
it. John Bunyan was a fool."

"Not at all, but the other man might have retorted, 'there with the
grace of God goes I.'"

This was from Mr. Aston, and Christopher gave him a quick look of
comprehension.

"The Court is with you, sir," said Aymer languidly. "Let us discuss
wedding presents."

CHAPTER XXXII

At eleven o'clock on Wednesday, Mr. Aston and Christopher were ushered
into Mr. Saunderson's office by a discreetly interested clerk. The
bland and smiling lawyer advanced to meet them with that respect and
courtesy he felt due to the vast fortune they represented. His table
was covered with orderly rows of papers, and the door of the safe,
labeled P. Masters, Esq., stood open.

"Punctuality is the essence of good business," said Mr. Saunderson,
with effusive approval as he indicated two lordly armchairs placed
ready for his visitors. Mr. Aston and Christopher had both a dim,
unreasonable con