etter than did any one else the peculiarity of mind which made her
mistress specially anxious that none of the Stanbury family should
enjoy any portion of the Burgess money, beyond that which she herself
had saved out of the income. There had been moments in which Martha
had hoped that this prejudice might be overcome in favour of Hugh;
but it had become stronger as the old woman grew to be older and
more feeble,--and it was believed now to be settled as Fate. "She'd
sooner give it all to old Barty over the way," Martha had once said,
"than let it go to her own kith and kin. And if she do hate any human
creature, she do hate Barty Burgess." She assented, however, to
Dorothy's proposal; and, though Mrs. Stanbury and Priscilla were
astounded by the precipitancy of the measure they did not attempt to
oppose it.

"And what am I to do?" said Brooke, when he was told.

"You'll come to-morrow, of course," said Dorothy.

"But it may be that the two of us together will be too many for the
dear old lunatic."

"You shan't call her a lunatic, Brooke. She isn't so much a lunatic
as you are, to run counter to her, and disobey her, and all that kind
of thing."

"And how about yourself?"

"How can I help it, Brooke? It is you that say it must be so."

"Of course it must. Who is to be stayed from doing what is reasonable
because an old woman has a bee on her bonnet. I don't believe in
people's wills."

"She can do what she likes about it, Brooke."

"Of course she can, and of course she will. What I mean is that it
never pays to do this or that because somebody may alter his will, or
may make a will, or may not make a will. You become a slave for life,
and then your dead tyrant leaves you a mourning-ring, and grins at
you out of his grave. All the same she'll kick up a row, I fancy, and
you'll have to bear the worst of it."

"I'll tell her the truth; and if she be very angry, I'll just come
home again. But I think I'll come home to-morrow any way, so that
I'll pass you on the road. That will be best. She won't want us both
together. Only then, Brooke, I shan't see you again."

"Not till June."

"And is it to be really in June?"

"You say you don't like May."

"You are such a goose, Brooke. It will be May almost to-morrow. I
shall be such a poor wife for you, Brooke. As for getting my things
ready, I shall not bring hardly any things at all. Have you thought
what it is to take a body so very poor?"

"I own I haven't t