until you find Harman. Bring the book open at that name to
me."

Charlotte was clever at carrying out her instructions. She quickly
returned with the book opened at the desired name. The clerk wrote Mr.
Harman's name and a number of a folio on a small piece of blue paper.
This he gave to Charlotte.

"Take this piece of paper to room number 31, along the passage," he
said. "You will have the will very soon now."

She bowed, thanked him, and went away. At room 31 she was desired to
wait in the reading-room. She found it without difficulty. It was a
small room, with a long table in the middle, and benches round it. At
one end sat a clerk at a desk. Charlotte seated herself at the table.
There were other people about, some reading wills, some others waiting
like herself. She happened just then to be the only woman in the room.
She drew up her veil, pressed her hand to her pale face, and waited with
what patience she could. She was too much excited to notice how she was
looked at and her appearance commented upon. Sitting there and waiting
with what courage she could muster, her fear returned. What stealthy
thing was this she was doing in the dark? What march was she stealing on
her father, her beloved and honored father? Suddenly it appeared to her
that she had done wrong. That it would be better, more dignified, more
noble, to ask from his own lips the simple truth, than to learn it by
such underhand means as these. She half rose to go away; but at this
moment a clerk entered, gave a piece of folded paper to the man at the
desk, who read aloud the one word,--

"Harman."

Charlotte felt herself turning deadly white as she stood up to receive
it. But when she really held her grandfather's will in her hand all
desire not to read it had left her. She opened the folio with her
shaking fingers, and began to read as steadily as she could. Her eyes
had scarcely, however, turned over the page, and most certainly her mind
had failed to grasp the meaning of a single word, before, for some
unaccountable reason, she raised her head. A large man had come in and
had seated himself opposite to her. He was a man on an immense scale,
with a rough, red, kind face, and the longest, most brilliantly colored
beard Charlotte had ever seen. His round, bright blue eyes were fixed
earnestly on the young lady. She returned his glance, in her own
peculiar full and open way, then returned to her interrupted task. Ah!
what a task it was after all