d
Markham were the executors, and Amabel was to be sole guardian, in case
of the birth of a child. If it was a son, L1O,OOO was left to Philip
himself; if not, he was to have all the plate, furniture, &c., of
Redclyffe, with the exception of whatever Lady Morville might choose for
herself.

Philip scarcely regarded the legacy (though it smoothed away his chief
difficulties) as more than another of those ill-requited benefits
which were weighing him to the earth. He read on to a sentence which
reproached him so acutely, that he would willingly have hidden from it,
as he had done from Guy's countenance. It was the bequest of L5000 to
Elizabeth Wellwood. Sebastian Dixon's debts were to be paid off; L1000
was left to Marianne Dixon, and the rest of the personal property was to
be Amabel's.

He gave back the paper, with only the words 'Thank you.' He did not feel
as if it was for him to speak; and Mr. Edmonstone hesitated, made an
attempt at congratulating him, broke down, and asked if it was properly
drawn up. He glanced at the beginning and end, said it was quite
correct, and laid his head down, as if the examination had been a great
deal of trouble.

'And what do you think of Amy's being under age?' fidgeted on Mr.
Edmonstone. 'How is she to act, poor dear! Shall I act for her?'

'She will soon be of age,' said Philip, wearily.

'In January, poor darling. Who would have thought how it would have been
with her? I little thought, last May--but, holloa! what have I been
at?' cried he, jumping up in a great fright, as Philip, so weak as to be
overcome by the least agitation, changed countenance, covered his face
with his hands, and turned away with a suppressed sob. 'I didn't mean
it, I am sure! Here! mamma!'

'No, no,' said Philip, recovering, and sitting up; 'don't call her, I
beg. There is nothing the matter.'

Mr. Edmonstone obeyed, but he was too much afraid of causing a renewal
of agitation to continue the conversation; and after walking about the
room a little while, and shaking it more than Philip could well bear, he
went away to write his letters.

In the meantime, Amabel had been spending her morning in the same quiet
way as the former day. She wrote part of a letter to Laura, and walked
to the graveyard, rather against her mother's wish; but she was so good
and obedient, it was impossible to thwart her, though Mrs. Edmonstone
was surprised at her proposal to join her father and Philip at tea. 'Do
you lik