she the richer for their folly?

"Why," said Houseman, "you will not have to wait for the death of these
testators,--Heaven forbid! But what does all this making of wills show
me? That both these gentlemen are deep in love with you, and you can
pick and choose; I say, you can wed with Bolton Hall or Neville's Court
to-morrow; so, prithee, let the Squire have his hundred pounds, and do
you repay me at your leisure."

Miss Peyton made no reply, but leaned her exquisite head upon her hand
and pondered.

She did not knit her brows, nor labor visibly at the mental oar; yet a
certain reposeful gravity and a fixity of the thoughtful eye showed she
was applying all the powers of her mind.

Mr. Houseman was not surprised at that: his own wife had but little
intellect; yet had he seen her weigh two rival bonnets in mortal
silence, and with all the seeming profundity of a judge on the bench.
And now this young lady was doubtless weighing farms with similar
gravity, care, and intelligence.

But as this continued, and still she did not communicate her decision,
he asked her point-blank which of the two she settled to wed: Neville's
Court or Bolton Grange.

Thus appealed to, Miss Peyton turned her great eye on him, without
really looking at him, and replied,--

"You have made me very uneasy."

He stared. She relapsed into thought a moment, and then, turning to
Houseman, asked him how _he_ accounted for those two gentlemen making
their wills. They were very young to make their wills all of a sudden.

"Why," said Houseman, "Mr. Neville is a man of sense, and every man of
sense makes his will; and as for Mr. Gaunt, he has just come into
prospect of an estate; that's why."

"Ah, but why could not Griffith wait till after the funeral?"

"Oh, clients are always in a hurry."

"So you see nothing in it? nothing alarming, I mean?"

"Nothing very alarming. Two landed proprietors in love with you; that is
all."

"But, dear Mr. Houseman, that is what makes me uneasy: at this rate,
they must look on one another as--as--rivals; and you know rivals are
sometimes enemies."

"Oh, I see now," said Houseman: "you apprehend a quarrel between the
gentlemen. Of course there is no love lost between them: but they met in
my office and saluted each other with perfect civility. I saw them with
my own eyes."

"Indeed! I am glad to hear that,--very glad. I hope it was only a
coincidence then, their both making their wills."

"Nothing mor