after, it was doubtful; certainly not much to build upon.
"And the coat-of-arms?"
"We are getting on famously, are we not? The coat, sir, was as
follows."
He proceeded to describe an impossible coat--a coat which might have
been drawn by a man absolutely ignorant of science.
All this took a couple of hours. It was now eight o'clock.
"Thank you, Mr. Emblem," said Arnold. "I have no doubt now that we
shall somehow bring Iris to her own again, in spite of your loss.
Shall we go upstairs and have some breakfast?"
"It is all right, Iris," cried the old man gleefully. "It is all
right. I have remembered everything, and Mr. Arbuthnot will go out
presently and secure your inheritance."
Iris looked at Arnold.
"Yes, dear," she said. "You shall have your breakfast. And then you
shall tell me all about it when Arnold goes; and you will take a
holiday, won't you--because I am twenty-one to-day?"
"Aha!" He was quite cheerful and mirthful, because he had recovered
his memory. "Aha, my dear, all is well! You are twenty-one, and I am
seventy-five; and Mr. Arbuthnot will go and bring home the--the
inheritance. And I shall sit here all day long. It was a good dream
that came to me this morning, was it not? Quite a voice from Heaven,
which said: 'Get up and write down the letter while you remember it.'
I got up; I found by the--by the merest accident, Mr. Arbuthnot on the
stairs, and we have arranged everything for you--everything."
CHAPTER IX.
DR. WASHINGTON.
Arnold returned to his studio, sat down and fell fast asleep.
He was awakened about noon by his Cousin Clara.
"Oh, Arnold," she cried, shaking him wrathfully by the arm, "this is a
moment of the greatest excitement and importance to me, and you are my
only adviser, and you are asleep!"
He sprung to his feet.
"I am awake now, Clara. Anxiety and trouble? On account of our talk
yesterday?"
He saw that she had been crying. In her hands she had a packet of
letters.
"Oh, no, no; it is far more important than that. As for our talk--"
"I am engaged to her, Clara."
"So I expected," she replied coldly. "But I am not come here about
your engagement. And you do not want my congratulations, I suppose?"
"I should like to have your good wishes, Clara."
"Oh, Arnold, that is what my poor Claude said when he deserted me and
married the governess. You men want to have your own way, and then
expect us to be delighted with it."
"I expect nothi
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