winton, without
waiting to greet Dora.

The girl gave her one look, a frozen glance of contempt, and turned her
appealing eyes to Mr. Trimmer.

"Mr. Herresford," the valet announced, "wishes to see Miss Dundas. The
doctor is with him. No one else must come up."

"But I insist," Mrs. Swinton cried.

"And I, too, insist," cried Trimmer, with glittering eyes and a voice
thrilling from excitement. His period of servitude was nearly ended, and
he cared not a snap of his fingers for Mrs. Swinton or for anyone else.
His legacy of fifty thousand dollars was almost within his grasp.

The rector's wife fell back, too astonished to speak.

Dora followed Trimmer's lead up the stairs, and entered the death chamber
with noiseless tread. The dying man was lying propped up with pillows as
usual. One side of him was already at rest forever; but his right hand,
with which he had written his last letter and signed the lying statement
which was to absolve his grandson, was lovingly fingering a large bundle
of bank-notes that Mr. Barnby, by request, had brought up from the bank.
On a chair by the bedside, account-books were spread in confusion, and
one--a black book with a silver lock--was lying on the bed. The physician
stood on one side, half-screened by the curtains of the bed. Herresford
beckoned Dora, who approached tremblingly.

The old man crumpled up the bank-notes, and placed them in her hand,
murmuring something which she could not hear. She bent down nearer to his
lips.

"For Dick--for present use--to put himself straight."

"I understand, grandfather."

The miser made impatient signs to her, which the doctor interpreted to
mean that he desired her to kneel by his bedside. She dropped down, and
her face was close to his; she could feel his breath upon her cheek.

"I'm saying--good-bye--"

"Yes."

"To my money.... All for you.... You'll marry him?"

"Yes."

"No mourning--no delays--no silly nonsense of that sort."

"It shall be as you wish."

"Marry at once. And my daughter--beware of her. A bad woman. I saved it
from her clutches. It's there." He pointed to the account-books. "If I
hadn't taken care of it for her, she would have squandered every
penny--can't keep it from her any longer. Plenty for you and Dick.
You'll take care of it--you'll take care of it? You won't spend it?" he
whined, with sudden excitement.

Dora passed her hand over his hair, and soothed him. He moaned like a
fretful child, then rec