come. Thought everybody was to be here who had ever seen him."

"He hasn't left you money, Jack," said Mr. De Baron.

"What will you give for my chance?" said Jack. But Mr. De Baron, though
he was much given to gambling speculations, did not on this occasion
make an offer.

After the funeral, which was sadder even than funerals are in general
though no tear was shed, the will was read in the library at Manor
Cross, Lord George being present, together with Mr. Knox, Mr. Stokes
and the two De Barons. The Dean might have wished to be there; but he
had written early on that morning an affectionate letter to his
son-in-law, excusing himself from being present at the funeral. "I
think you know," he had said, "that I would do anything either to
promote your welfare or to gratify your feelings, but there had
unfortunately been that between me and the late Marquis which would
make my attendance seem to be a mockery." He did not go near Manor
Cross on that day; but no one knew better than he,--not even Mr. Knox
himself,--that the dead lord had possessed no power of alienating a
stick or a brick upon the property. The will was very short, and the
upshot of it was that every shilling of which the Marquis died
possessed, together with his house at Como and the furniture contained
in the three houses, was left to our old friend Jack De Baron. "I took
the liberty," said Mr. Stokes, "to inform his lordship that should he
die before his wife, his widow would be entitled to a third of his
personal property. He replied that whatever his widow could claim by
law, she could get without any act of his. I mention this, as Captain
De Baron may perhaps be willing that the widow of the late Marquis may
be at once regarded as possessed of a third of the property."

"Quite so," said Jack, who had suddenly become as solemn and funereal
as Mr. Stokes himself. He was now engaged to Guss Mildmay with a
vengeance!

When the solemnity of the meeting was over, Lord George,--or the
Marquis, as he must now be called,--congratulated the young heir with
exquisite grace. "I was so severed from my brother of late," he said,
"that I had not known of the friendship."

"Never saw him in my life till I met him down at Rudham," said Jack. "I
was civil to him there because he seemed to be ill. He sent me once to
fetch a ten-pound note. I thought it odd, but I went. After that he
seemed to take to me a good deal."

"He took to you to some purpose, Captain De