, for were
not his own days numbered and must soon draw to a close?

As the different parties separated on the conclusion of the ceremony,
various were the comments and conjectures as to the manner in which Sir
Jasper had divided his property, and it was almost universally believed
that Miss Edith would come in for a greater part of his wealth and the
estate of Vellenaux would undoubtedly become hers.

Sir Ralph, as he must now be called, and others interested in such
proceedings, returned, to Vellenaux to examine and hear read the will
and such other documents relating to the distribution of the property
real and personal of the late Baronet, and great was the surprise of all
present except one, when it was announced that, after the strictest
search, no will or other document of the kind had been found among the
papers of the late Baronet. Mr. Russell, a man of integrity, and well
known for the uprightness of his dealings, and who had for upwards of
thirty years transacted all the legal business and had the management of
the estate of the late Sir Jasper, declared that, to the best of his
knowledge no will had been made. This was followed by a statement from
Sir Ralph to the effect that it was but a few weeks since, that his
cousin, the late Sir Jasper Coleman, had declared to him his intention
of making a will in his (Sir Ralph's) favor. Miss Effingham, on being
asked, had sent word that she had never heard her uncle say anything on
the subject, and Mrs. Fraudhurst, on being interrogated, announced that
she had always been of the opinion that Miss Effingham was to be sole
heiress of her uncle's wealth, but had never heard Sir Jasper speak of
having actually made any will at all. Consequently the law gave to Sir
Ralph Coleman the entire property of the late Baronet, whose much-loved
niece was thus left a penniless orphan.

Old Reynolds, who had been in the library when it was announced the
Baronet had left no will, and that the entire property fell to his
cousin, Sir Ralph, immediately summoned the domestics in the servants'
hall and related to his astonished hearers what he had heard.
Consternation was depicted on the countenance of all, and a wordy
colloquy ensued as to what would become of their dear young mistress,
and whether they would be discharged to make room for others whom the
new Baronet might choose to appoint. The grey-headed old Butler had been
at Vellenaux since he was a lad of fourteen, and had known