r, and his saying nothing
would seem to be of no special moment while three persons were in the
room. But his saying nothing when special opportunity for speaking
had been given to him would be of moment to her. Her destiny was in
his hands to such a degree that she felt his power over her to amount
almost to a cruelty. She longed to ask him what her fate was to be,
but it was a question that she could not put to him. She knew that he
would not tell her now; and she knew also that the very fact of his
not telling her would inflict upon her a new misery, and deprive her
of the comfort which she was beginning to enjoy. If he could not tell
her at once how all this was to be ended, it would be infinitely
better for her that he should remain away from her altogether.

As soon as Mrs Mackenzie had left the room he began to describe to
her his last interview with the lawyers. She listened to him, and
pretended to interest herself, but she did not care two straws about
the lawyers. Point after point he explained to her, showing the
unfortunate ingenuity with which his uncle Jonathan had contrived to
confuse his affairs, and Margaret attempted to appear concerned. But
her mind had now for some months past refused to exert itself with
reference to the mode in which Mr Jonathan Ball had disposed of his
money. Two years ago she had been told that it was hers; since that,
she had been told that it was not hers. She had felt the hardship of
this at first; but now that feeling was over with her, and she did
not care to hear more about it. But she did care very much to know
what was to be her future fate.

"And when will be the end of it, John?" she asked him.

"Ha! that seems so hard to say. They did name the first of April, but
it won't be so soon as that. Mr Slow said to-day about the end of
April, but his clerk seems to think it will be the middle of May."

"It is very provoking," said Margaret.

"Yes, it is," said John Ball, "very provoking; I feel it so. It
worries me so terribly that I have no comfort in life. But I suppose
you find everything very nice here."

"They are very kind to me."

"Very kind, indeed. It was quite the proper thing for them to do; and
when I heard that Mrs Mackenzie had been to you in Arundel Street, I
was delighted."

Margaret did not dare to tell him that she would have preferred to
have been left in Arundel Street; but that, at the moment, was her
feeling. If, when all this was over, she wou