wkward silence that fell upon the three was broken by Jasper, who
expressed a regret that he was obliged to take his leave.

'Maud is becoming a young lady of society,' he said--just for the sake
of saying something--as he moved towards the door. 'If she comes back
whilst you are here, Miss Yule, warn her that that is the path of
destruction for literary people.'

'You should bear that in mind yourself' remarked Dora, with a
significant look.

'Oh, I am cool-headed enough to make society serve my own ends.'

Marian turned her head with a sudden movement which was checked before
she had quite looked round to him. The phrase he uttered last appeared
to have affected her in some way; her eyes fell, and an expression of
pain was on her brows for a moment.

'I can only stay a few minutes,' she said, bending with a faint smile
towards Dora, as soon as they were alone. 'I have come on my way from
the Museum.'

'Where you have tired yourself to death as usual, I can see.'

'No; I have done scarcely anything. I only pretended to read; my mind is
too much troubled. Have you heard anything about my uncle's will?'

'Nothing whatever.'

'I thought it might have been spoken of in Wattleborough, and some
friend might have written to you. But I suppose there has hardly been
time for that. I shall surprise you very much. Father receives nothing,
but I have a legacy of five thousand pounds.'

Dora kept her eyes down.

'Then--what do you think?' continued Marian. 'My cousin Amy has ten
thousand pounds.'

'Good gracious! What a difference that will make!'

'Yes, indeed. And her brother John has six thousand. But nothing to
their mother. There are a good many other legacies, but most of
the property goes to the Wattleborough park--"Yule Park" it will be
called--and to the volunteers, and things of that kind. They say he
wasn't as rich as people thought.'

'Do you know what Miss Harrow gets?'

'She has the house for her life, and fifteen hundred pounds.'

'And your father nothing whatever?'

'Nothing. Not a penny. Oh I am so grieved! I think it so unkind, so
wrong. Amy and her brother to have sixteen thousand pounds and father
nothing! I can't understand it. There was no unkind feeling between him
and father. He knew what a hard life father has had. Doesn't it seem
heartless?'

'What does your father say?'

'I think he feels the unkindness more than he does the disappointment;
of course he must have expected somethin