your words?"

"Yes. Mrs. Holbrook takes the whole of the personalty, but she has only a
life-interest in the real estate. If she should have children, it will go
to them on her death; if she should die childless, it will go to her
father, supposing him to survive her."

"To her father? That is rather strange, isn't it?"

"I don't know that. It was the old man's wish that the will should be to
that effect."

"I understood from him that he did not know whether his son was alive or
dead."

"Indeed! I believe he had news of his son very lately."

"Curious that he should not have told me, knowing as he did my interest
in everything relating to Mrs. Holbrook."

"Old people are apt to be close; and Jacob Nowell was about one of the
closest customers I ever met with," answered the lawyer.

Gilbert left him soon after this, and chartered a hansom in the next
street, which carried him back to the City. He was very uncertain as to
what he ought to do for Marian, doubtful of Mr. Medler's integrity, and
yet anxious to abstain from any act that might seem uncalled for or
officious. She had her husband to look after her interests, as the lawyer
had reminded him, and it was scarcely probable that Mr. Holbrook would
neglect any steps necessary to secure his wife's succession to whatever
property Jacob Nowell had left. It seemed to Gilbert that he could do
nothing at present, except write to Marian, telling her of his interview
with the lawyer, and advising her to lose no time in placing the conduct
of her affairs in more respectable hands than those of Mr. Medler. He
mentioned his own solicitors, a City firm of high standing, as gentlemen
whom she might wisely trust at this crisis of her life.

This done, he could only wait the issue of events, and he tried to occupy
himself as much as possible with his business at St. Helens--that
business which he seriously intended getting rid of as soon as he could
meet with a favourable opportunity for so doing. He worked with that
object in view. In spite of his losses in Australia, he was in a position
to retire from commerce with a very fair income. He had lost all motive
for sustained exertion, all desire to become rich. A man who has no taste
for expensive bachelor pleasures and no home has very little opportunity
for getting rid of large sums of money. Mr. Fenton had taken life
pleasantly enough, and yet had never spent five hundred a year. He could
retire with an income of eight