onsider to be unlawful possessors of the property. In
conclusion, I can only say that my services will at all times be at
your disposal."

Mrs. Conway was scarcely disappointed at the receipt of this letter,
for she had quite made up her mind that the will would not be found.
These women had clearly made up their minds to deprive Ralph and Mabel
of their rights, and unless they had felt perfectly satisfied that no
search would discover the hiding-place of the will, they would not
improbably have taken it, and either destroyed it or concealed it in
some fresh place where the searchers would never be likely to look for
it. She did not think it likely, therefore, that the hiding-place
would be discovered, and she felt assured that were it discovered it
would be found empty.

"Very well," she said, in a quiet, determined voice, as she laid down
the letter. "Mr. Tallboys has failed. Now, I shall take up the matter.
I dare say you think that you have won, Miss Penfold; that you are now
mistress beyond dispute of Herbert's property. You will see the battle
has only just begun. It will last, I can tell you, all your lives or
mine."

A week later an altogether unexpected event took place. When Mr. and
Mrs. Withers were at breakfast a letter arrived from Mr. Littleton,
now solicitor to the Miss Penfolds. Upon opening it it was found to
contain an offer upon the part of the Miss Penfolds to settle the sum
of a hundred a year for life upon Mabel, upon the condition only that
the allowance would be stopped upon her marriage, unless that marriage
received the approval, in writing, of the Miss Penfolds. The letter
was addressed to Mr. Withers, and after reading it through he passed
it to his wife without a word. She was too surprised to say anything
for a moment, especially as Mabel was in the room, and she laid the
letter beside her until breakfast was over and Mabel had gone out.

"Well, James, what do you think of it?" she asked.

"What do you think of it yourself?" he replied.

Mrs. Withers hesitated, and then said: "Well, James, it is a sort of
thing that requires so much thinking about that I have scarcely had
time to turn it over in my mind yet, especially with Mabel there
eating her breakfast opposite, and having no idea that this letter
contained anything of such importance to her. I would really rather
hear what you think about it." Mr. Withers remained silent, and she
went on: "Of course it would be a very nice thing