ng three years in England, he returned
to the East Indies. I had heard him mention to my uncle Henry his
intention of making his will, and leaving it with him before he sailed;
but I was not certain whether it had been done or not. At all events,
my uncle Henry took care that I should not be in the way; for at that
time my uncle carried on his profession as a lawyer, and I was working
in his office. It was not until after my uncle James returned to India
that he gave up business and purchased the patent place which I
mentioned. Cecilia was left with my uncle Henry, and as we lived in the
same house, our affections, as we grew up, ripened into love. We often
used to laugh at the threats of my uncle James, and agreed that whoever
might be the fortunate one to whom he left his property, we would go
halves, and share it equally.

"In the meantime I still followed up my profession in another house, in
which I at present am a partner. Four years after the return of my
uncle James to India news came home of his death; but it was also stated
that no will could be found, and it was supposed that he died intestate.
Of course my uncle Henry succeeded as heir-at-law to the whole
property, and thus were the expectations and hopes of Cecilia and of
myself dashed to the ground. But this was not the worst of it: my
uncle, who had witnessed our feelings for each other, and had made no
comment, as soon as he was in possession of the property, intimated to
Cecilia that she should be his heiress, provided that she married
according to his wishes; and pointed out to her that a fortune such as
she might expect would warrant the alliance of the first nobleman in the
kingdom; and he very plainly told me that he thought it advisable that I
should find lodgings for myself, and not be any longer an inmate in the
same house as was my cousin, as no good would result from it. Thus,
sir, we were not only disappointed in our hopes, but thwarted in our
affections, which had for some time been exchanged. Maddened at this
intimation, I quitted the house; and at the same time the idea of my
uncle James having made a will still pressed upon me, as I called to
mind what I had heard him say to my uncle Henry previous to his sailing
for India. There was a box of deeds and papers, the very box now in
your possession, which my uncle invariably kept in his bedroom. I felt
convinced that the will, if not destroyed (and I did not believe my
uncle would