showing any reluctance; so she
laid the little one on his arm, and saw his great hand holding it most
carefully, but the next moment he turned abruptly from her. Poor silly
little Amy, her heart beat not a little till he turned back, restored
the babe, and while he walked hastily to the window, she saw that two
large tear-drops had fallen on the white folds of its mantle. She did
not speak; she guessed how much he must feel in thus holding Guy's
child, and, besides, her own tears would now flow so easily that she
must be on her guard. She sat down, settled the little one on her knee,
and gave him time to recover himself.

Presently he came and stood by her saying, in a most decided tone,
'Amabel, you must let me do this child justice.'

She looked up, wondering what he could mean.

'I will not delay in taking steps for restoring her inheritance,' said
he, hoping by determination to overpower Amabel, and make her believe it
a settled and a right thing.

'O Philip, you are not thinking of that!'

'It is to be done.'

'You would not be so unkind to this poor little girl,' said Amy, with a
persuasive smile, partaking of her old playfulness, adding, very much
in earnest, 'Pray put it out of your head directly, for it would be very
wrong.'

The nurse knocked at the door to fetch the baby, as Amabel had desired.
When this interruption was over, Philip came and sat down opposite to
her, and began with his most decided manner:--

'You must listen to me, Amy, and not allow any scruples to prevent you
from permitting your child to be restored to her just rights. You must
see that the estate has come to me by circumstances such that no honest
man can be justified in retaining it. The entail was made to exclude
females, only because of the old Lady Granard. It is your duty to
consent.'

'The property has always gone in the male line,' replied Amabel.

'There never was such a state of things. Old Sir Guy could never have
thought of entailing it away from his own descendant on a distant
cousin. It would be wrong of me to profit by these unforeseen
contingencies, and you ought not, in justice to your child, to object.'

He spoke so forcibly and decidedly that he thought he must have
prevailed. But not one whit convinced, Amabel answered, in her own
gentle voice, but beginning with a business-like argument:--'Such a
possibility was contemplated. It was all provided for in the marriage
settlements. Indeed, I am afraid that,