d
goodbye, so the latter went to the kitchen to tell the undertaker's
men to proceed with the preparations and to screw up the coffin. When
he came out of the room again I told him of Arthur's question, and he
replied, "I am not surprised. Just now I doubted for a moment
myself!"

We all dined together, and I could see that poor Art was trying to
make the best of things. Van Helsing had been silent all dinner time,
but when we had lit our cigars he said, "Lord . . ." but Arthur
interrupted him.

"No, no, not that, for God's sake! Not yet at any rate. Forgive me,
sir. I did not mean to speak offensively. It is only because my loss
is so recent."

The Professor answered very sweetly, "I only used that name because I
was in doubt. I must not call you 'Mr.' and I have grown to love you,
yes, my dear boy, to love you, as Arthur."

Arthur held out his hand, and took the old man's warmly. "Call me
what you will," he said. "I hope I may always have the title of a
friend. And let me say that I am at a loss for words to thank you for
your goodness to my poor dear." He paused a moment, and went on, "I
know that she understood your goodness even better than I do. And if
I was rude or in any way wanting at that time you acted so, you
remember"--the Professor nodded--"you must forgive me."

He answered with a grave kindness, "I know it was hard for you to
quite trust me then, for to trust such violence needs to understand,
and I take it that you do not, that you cannot, trust me now, for you
do not yet understand. And there may be more times when I shall want
you to trust when you cannot, and may not, and must not yet
understand. But the time will come when your trust shall be whole and
complete in me, and when you shall understand as though the sunlight
himself shone through. Then you shall bless me from first to last for
your own sake, and for the sake of others, and for her dear sake to
whom I swore to protect."

"And indeed, indeed, sir," said Arthur warmly. "I shall in all ways
trust you. I know and believe you have a very noble heart, and you
are Jack's friend, and you were hers. You shall do what you like."

The Professor cleared his throat a couple of times, as though about to
speak, and finally said, "May I ask you something now?"

"Certainly."

"You know that Mrs. Westenra left you all her property?"

"No, poor dear. I never thought of it."

"And as it is all yours, you have a right to dea