for a moment from what
they were doing! At last the very three came down, in the centre of
which was the volume containing the will. There was a tree against
which he leaned, unable to support himself, as he looked into the
room. The vacant place was searched, and then the three books were
replaced! No attempt was made to examine the volumes. The men who did
the work clearly did not know that these very volumes had been in
constant use with the old Squire. They were replaced, and then the
search, as far as the room was concerned, was over. When they were
gone, Cousin Henry returned again to the room, and there he remained
during the rest of the day. The search as it was carried on elsewhere
had no interest for him.

Whatever harm might be done to others, whoever else might be injured,
certainly no one was ill-treated as he had been ill-treated. It was
thus he thought of it. Even should the will never be found, how cruel
would be the injustice done to him! He had not asked to be made heir
to the property! It was not his doing. He had been invited to come in
order that he might be received as the heir, and since he had come,
every one about the place had misused him. The tenants had treated
him with disdain; the very servants had been insolent; his Cousin
Isabel, when he had offered to share everything with her, had
declared that he was hateful to her; and his uncle himself had heaped
insult upon injury, and had aggravated injustice with scorn.

"Yes; I had intended that you should be my heir, and have called you
hither for that purpose. Now I find you to be so poor a creature that
I have changed my mind." That in truth was what his uncle had said
to him and had done for him. Who, after that, would expect him to go
out of his way in search of special magnanimity? Let them find the
will if they wanted it! Even though he should resolve himself to have
nothing to do with the property, even though he should repudiate any
will in his own favour, still he would not tell them where this will
might be found. Why should he help them in their difficulty?

Every carpet was taken up, every piece of furniture was moved, every
trunk and box in the house was examined, but it occurred to no one
that every book should be opened. It was still July, and the day was
very long. From six in the morning till nine at night they were at
work, and when the night came they declared that every spot about the
place had been searched.

"I think,