she glanced towards the bed.

'Not now. Let it be after it is all over. It does not matter now. I know
it will be all right.'

'Just as you will; but I cannot bear to go and leave you here, Miss
Graham. Will you not think better of it? My wife and daughters will be
glad to see you, and they will be very kind and sympathetic, I can
assure you of that. Let me take you away.'

But Gladys, though grateful, still shook her head.

'I promised your uncle to take care of you,' he urged. 'If I go and
leave you in such sad circumstances here, so alone, I should feel that I
am not redeeming my promise.'

'I thank you, and I shall come, perhaps, after, if you are so kind as to
wish me to come, but not now. And I am not quite alone here. I have
Walter.'

Mr. Fordyce did not know what to say. It was impossible for him to
suggest that Walter's very presence in the house was one reason why she
should quit it. She knew nothing of conventionalities or proprieties,
and this was not the time to suggest them to her mind. He could only
leave the whole matter at rest.

'Can I see this Walter?' he asked then. 'I have papers in my hand
concerning him also. I may as well see him now.'

'He is up-stairs. Shall I call him down?'

'No. I shall go up,' answered the lawyer; and Gladys pointed him to the
stairs leading up to the warehouse. Walter rose from his stool at the
desk and stood at the door of the little office.

'Good-morning,' both said, and then they looked at each other quite
steadily for a moment. Mr. Fordyce was astonished at the lad's youth,
still more at his manly and independent bearing, and he told himself
that this strange client had exhibited considerable shrewdness in the
disposal of his worldly goods.

'This is a very sad affair,' said the lawyer,--'sad and sudden. Mr.
Graham was an old man, but he has always been so robust, he appeared to
have the prospect of still longer life. It will make a great change
here.'

'It will, sir.' Walter placed a chair for him, and a look of genuine
relief was visible on his face. 'I am very glad you have come up. I was
sitting here thinking over things. It is a very strange case.'

'You know something, I presume, of this business, whether it was a
paying concern or not?' said the lawyer keenly.

'It is a large business done in a small way, sir,--a worrying,
unsatisfactory kind of business, I know that much; but my master always
kept his books himself, and I had no means of kno