o hear, for no one has told me
anything. I suppose my uncle is to be guardian?'

'No; Lady Morville.'

'You don't mean it? Most lover-like indeed. That poor girl to manage
that great property? Everything left to her!' said Mrs. Henley,
continuing her catechism in spite of the unwillingness of his replies.
'Were there any legacies? I know of Miss Wellwood's.'

'That to Dixon's daughter, and my own,' he answered.

'Yours? How was it that I never heard of it? What is it?'

'Ten thousand,' said Philip, sadly.

'I am delighted to hear it!' cried Margaret. 'Very proper of Sir
Guy--very proper indeed, poor youth. It is well thought of to soften the
disappointment.'

Philip started forward. 'Disappointment!' exclaimed he, with horror.

'You need not look as if I wished to commit murder,' said his sister,
smiling. 'Have you forgotten that it depends on whether it is a son or
daughter?'

His dismay was not lessened. 'Do you mean to say that this is to come on
me if the child is a daughter?'

'Ah! you were so young when the entail was made, that you knew nothing
of it. Female heirs were expressly excluded. There was some aunt whom
old Sir Guy passed over, and settled the property on my father and you,
failing his own male heirs.'

'No one would take advantage of such a chance,' said Philip.

'Do not make any rash resolutions, my dear brother, whatever you do,'
said Margaret. 'You have still the same fresh romantic generous spirit
of self-sacrifice that is generally so soon worn out, but you must not
let it allow you--'

'Enough of this,' said Philip, hastily, for every word was a dagger.

'Ah! you are right not to dwell on the uncertainty. I am almost sorry
I told you,' said Margaret. 'Tell me about Miss Wellwood's legacy,' she
continued, desirous of changing the subject. 'I want to know the truth
of it, for every one is talking of it.''How comes the world to know of
it?'

'There have been reports ever since his death, and now it has been paid,
whatever it is, on Lady Morville's coming of age. Do you know what
it is? The last story I was told was, that it was L2O,OOO, to found a
convent to pray for his grand--'

'Five thousand for her hospital,' interrupted Philip. 'Sister!' he
added; speaking with effort, 'it was for that hospital that he made the
request for which we persecuted him.'

'Ah! I thought so, I could have told you so!' cried Margaret, triumphant
in her sagacity, but astonished, as her brother sta