l be mine, you know--a little
bit mine--won't you?--even if you should marry some beautiful lady
after I am gone?--I shall love her when she comes."

"Arctura!" said Donal.

CHAPTER LXXXI.

A WILL AND A WEDDING.

But the opening of the windows of heaven, and the unspeakable rush of
life through channels too narrow and banks too weak to hold its tide,
caused a terrible inundation: the red flood broke its banks, and
weakened all the land.

Arctura sent for Mr. Graeme, and commissioned him to fetch the family
lawyer from Edinburgh. Alone with him she gave instructions concerning
her will. The man of business shrugged his shoulders, laden with so
many petty weights, bowed down with so many falsest opinions, and would
have expostulated with her.

"Sir!" she said.

"You have a cousin who inherits the title!" he suggested.

"Mr. Fortune," she returned, "it may be I know as much of my family as
you. I did not send for you to consult you, but to tell you how I would
have my will drawn up!"

"I beg your pardon, my lady," rejoined the lawyer, "but there are
things which may make it one's duty to speak out."

"Speak then; I will listen--that you may ease your mind."

He began a long, common-sense, worldly talk on the matter, nor once
repeated himself. When he stopped,--

"Now have you eased your mind?" she asked.

"I have, my lady."

"Then listen to me. There is no necessity you should hurt either your
feelings or your prejudices. If it goes against your conscience to do
as I wish, I will not trouble you."

Mr. Fortune bowed, took his instructions, and rose.

"When will you bring it me?" she asked.

"In the course of a week or two, my lady."

"If it is not in my hands by the day after to-morrow, I will send for a
gentleman from the town to prepare it."

"You shall have it, my lady," said Mr. Fortune.

She did have it, and it was signed and witnessed.

Then she sank more rapidly. Donal said no word about the marriage: it
should be as she pleased! He was much by her bedside, reading to her
when she was able to listen, talking to her or sitting silent when she
was not.

Arctura had at once told mistress Brookes the relation in which she and
Donal stood to each other. It cost the good woman many tears, for she
thought such a love one of the saddest things in a sad world. Neither
Arctura nor Donal thought so.

The earl at this time was a little better, though without prospect of
even temporary recov