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ady more liberally provided for； as heir under the entail to the whole of the landed property。 But； to say nothing of old friends who are forgotten； there is a surviving relative of the late Sir Gervase passed over； who is nearly akin to him by blood。 In the event of this person disputing the will； you will of course hear from us again； and refer us to your legal adviser。〃
The letter ended with an apology for delay in writing to me； caused by difficulty in discovering my address。
And what did I do？Write to the rector； or to Mrs。 Fosdyke； fo r advice？ Not I！
At first I was too indignant to be able to think of what I ought to do。 Our post…time was late； and my head ached as if it would burst into pieces。 I had plenty of leisure to rest and compose myself。 When I got cool again； I felt able to take my own part； without asking any one to help me。
Even if I had been treated kindly； I should certainly not have taken the money when there was a relative living with a claim to it。 What did _I_ want with a large fortune！ To buy a husband with it； perhaps？ No； no！ from all that I have heard； the great Lord Chancellor was quite right when he said that a woman with money at her own disposal was 〃either kissed out of it or kicked out of it； six weeks after her marriage。〃 The one difficulty before me was not to give up my legacy； but to express my reply with sufficient severity； and at the same time with due regard to my own self…respect。 Here is what I wrote：
〃SIRI will not trouble you by attempting to express my sorrow on hearing of Sir Gervase Damian's death。 You would probably form your own opinion on that subject also； and I have no wish to be judged by your unenviable experience of humanity for the second time。
〃With regard to the legacy； feeling the sincerest gratitude to my generous benefactor； I nevertheless refuse to receive the money。
〃Be pleased to send me the necessary document to sign； for transferring my fortune to that relative of Sir Gervase mentioned in your letter。 The one condition on which I insist is； that no expression of thanks shall be addressed to me by the person in whose favor I resign the money。 I do not desire （even supposing that justice is done to my motives on this occasion） to be made the object of expressions of gratitude for only doing my duty。〃
So it ended。 I may be wrong； but I call that strong writing。
In due course of post a formal acknowledgment arrived。 I was requested to wait for the document until the will had been proved； and was informed that my name should be kept strictly secret in the interval。 On this occasion the executors were almost as insolent as the lawyer。 They felt it their duty to give me time to reconsider a decision which had been evidently formed on impulse。 Ah； how hard men areat least； some of them！ I locked up the acknowledgment in disgust； resolved to think no more of it until the time came for getting rid of my legacy。 I kissed poor Sir Gervase's little keepsake。 While I was still looking at it； the good children came in； of their own accord； to ask how I was。 I was obliged to draw down the blind in my room； or they would have seen the tears in my eyes。 For the first time since my mother's death； I felt the heartache。 Perhaps the children made me think of the happier time when I was a child myself。
VII。
THE will had been proved； and I was informed that the document was in course of preparation when Mrs。 Fosdyke returned from her visit to Scotland。
She thought me looking pale and worn。
〃The time seems to me to have come；〃 she said； 〃when I had better make you and Mr。 Sax understand each other。 Have you been thinking penitently of your own bad behavior？〃
I felt myself blushing。 I _had_ been thinking of my conduct to Mr。 Saxand I was heartily ashamed of it； too。
Mrs。 Fosdyke went on； half in jest； half in earnest。 〃Consult your own sense of propriety！〃 she said。 〃Was the poor man to blame for not being rude enough to say No； when a lady asked him to turn over her music？ Could _he_ help it； if the same lady persisted in flirting with him？ He ran away from her the next morning。 Did you deserve to be told why he left us？ Certainly notafter the vixenish manner in which you handed the bedroom candle to Miss Melbury。 You foolish girl！ Do you think I couldn't see that you were in love with him？ Thank Heaven； he's too poor to marry you； and take you away from my children； for some time to come。 There will be a long marriage engagement； even if he is magnanimous enough to forgive you。 Shall I ask Miss Melbury to come back with him？〃
She took pity on me at last； and sat down to write to Mr。 Sax。 His reply； dated from a country house some twenty miles distant； announced that he would be at Carsham Hall in three days' time。
On that third day the legal paper that I was to sign arrived by post。 It was Sunday morning； I was alone in the schoolroom。
In writing to me； the lawyer had only alluded to 〃a surviving relative of Sir Gervase； nearly akin to him by blood。〃 The document was more explicit。 It described the relative as being a nephew of Sir Gervase； the son of his sister。 The name followed。
It was Sextus Cyril Sax。
I have tried on three different sheets of paper to describe the effect which this discovery produced on meand I have torn them up one after another。 When I only think of it； my mind seems to fall back into the helpless surprise and confusion of that time。 After all that had passed between usthe man himself being then on his way to the house！ what would he think of me when he saw my name at the bottom of the document？ what； in Heaven's name； was I to do？
How long I sat petrified； with the document on my lap； I never knew。 Somebody knocked at the schoolroom door； and looked in and said something； and went out again。 Then there was an interval。 Then the door was opened again。 A hand was laid kindly on my shoulder。 I looked upand there was Mrs。 Fosdyke； asking； in the greatest alarm； what was the matter with me。
The tone of her voice roused me into speaking。 I could think of nothing but Mr。 Sax； I could only say； 〃Has he come？〃
〃Yesand waiting to see you。〃
Answering in those terms； she glanced at the paper in my lap。 In the extremity of my helplessness； I acted like a sensible creature at last。 I told Mrs。 Fosdyke all that I have told here。
She neither moved nor spoke until I had done。 Her first proceeding； after that； was to take me in her arms and give me a kiss。 Having so far encouraged me； she next spoke of poor Sir Gervase。
〃We all acted like fools；〃 she announced； 〃in needlessly offending him by protesting against his second marriage。 I don't mean youI mean his son； his nephew； and myself。 If his second marriage made him happy； what business had we with the disparity of years between husband and wife？ I can tell you this； Sextus was the first of us to regret what he had done。 But for his stupid fear of being suspected of an interested motive； Sir Gervase might have known there was that much good in his sister's son。〃
She snatched up a copy of the will； which I had not even noticed thus far。
〃See what the kind old man says of you；〃 she went on； pointing to the words。 I could not see them； she was ob