, when his silver hair had mingled with her golden locks;
and with them was a concourse that evidently impressed the nephew with
a new idea of the estimation in which his uncle had been held.

Tom had travelled all night, and had arrived only just in time. Nobody
was able to say a word to him before setting off; and almost
immediately after the return, Sir Matthew Fleet seized upon him to walk
up to the station with him, and, to the infinite disgust of the nephew,
the reading of the will was thus delayed until the executor came back,
extremely grave and thoughtful.

After all, Mr. Spencer had no available grievance. His uncle's
property was very little altogether, amounting scarcely to a thousand
pounds, but the bulk was bequeathed to the nephew; to Aubrey May was
left his watch, and a piece of plate presented to him on his leaving
India; to Dr. May a few books; to Tom the chief of his library, his
papers, notes, and instruments, and the manuscript of a work upon
diseases connected with climate, on which he had been engaged for many
years, but had never succeeded in polishing to his own fastidious
satisfaction, or in coming to the end of new discoveries. To Etheldred,
his only legacy was his writing-desk, with all its contents. And Mr.
Spencer looked so suspicious of those contents, that Tom made her open
it before him, and show that they were nothing but letters.

It had been a morning of the mixture of feelings and restless bustle,
so apt to take place where the affection is not explained by
relationship; and when the strangers were gone, and the family were
once again alone, there was a drawing of freer breath, and the Doctor
threw himself back in his chair, and indulged in a long, heavy sigh,
with a weary sound in it.

'Can I go anywhere for you, father?' said Tom, turning to him with a
kind and respectful manner.

'Oh no--no, thank you,' he said, rousing himself, and laying his hand
on the bell, 'I must go over to Overfield; but I shall be glad of the
drive. Well, Dr. Tom, what did you say to Fleet's proposal?'

'I said I would come up to town and settle about it when I had got
through this executor business.'

'You always were a lucky fellow, Tom,' said Dr. May, trying to be
interested and sympathetic. 'You would not wish for anything better.'

'I don't know, I have not had time to think about it yet,' said Tom,
pulling off his spectacles and pushing back his hair, with an action of
sadness and fatigu