to see the money,' the old gentleman
repeated; and I was forced to wait the action of the law and the
settlement of the estate. It took longer than even he foresaw. Weeks
went by and my poor little five thousand seemed as far from my control
as on the day the will was read. There was some trouble, I was not told
what, that made it seem improbable that I should reap the benefit of my
legacy for some time. Meanwhile Ona accepted the attentions of the young
doctor, and my chances of winning her, dwindled rapidly day by day. I
became morbidly eager and insanely jealous. Instead of pursuing my
advantage--for I undoubtedly possessed one in her own secret inclination
towards me--I stood off, and let my rival work his way into her
affections unhindered. I was too sore to interrupt his play, as I called
it, and too afraid of myself to actually confront him in her presence.
But the sight of them riding together one day, was more than I could
endure even in my spirit of unresistance. 'He shall not have her,' I
cried, and cast about in my mind how to bring my own matters into such
shape as to satisfy her father and so win her own consent to my suit. My
first thought was to borrow the money, but that was impracticable in a
town where each man's affairs are known to his neighbor. My next was to
hurry up the settlement of the estate by appeal to my lawyer. The result
of the latter course was a letter of many promises, in the midst of
which a great temptation assailed me.

"Colonel Japha, of whose history you have heard more or less true
accounts, was at that time living in the old mansion you took such pains
to point out to me in that walk we took together in Grotewell. He had
suffered a great anguish in the flight and degradation of his only
daughter, and though the real facts connected with her departure were
not known in the village, he was so overcome with shame, and so
shattered in health, he lived in the utmost seclusion, opening his doors
to but few visitors, among whom I, for some unexplained reason, was one.
He used to say he liked me and saw in me the makings of a considerable
man; and I, because he was Colonel Japha and a strong spirit, returned
his appreciation, and spent many of my bitter and unhappy hours in his
presence. It was upon one of these occasions the temptation came to
which I have just alluded.

"I had been talking about his health and the advisability of his taking
a journey, when he suddenly rose and said