our housekeeping books are models of accurate accounts.
I hope Mr. Phillips appreciates your talents in this line?"

"Quite sufficiently, I assure you. But with regard to this letter--what
was Mr. McFarlane's advice on the subject?" asked Jane.

"To take no notice whatever of it; for that it would only bring trouble
and discredit on me if she was no impostor, and be a very foolish thing
if she was. He says that he had mentioned to my father, when he was
making his will, that in all probability the widow, if left out of the
will, would come upon the heir, and extort something very handsome from
him; but that Mr. Hogarth had said sternly that she could not do it,
for she had not a scrap of evidence that she dared bring forward to
prove that she had ever been his wife. That he had no objection to
provide handsomely for me, for I had proved that I was worthy of it;
but for her, she had been a thorn in his side all his life; that he had
done all for her that he meant to do, and all that she expected him to
do. This made Mr. McFarlane think that he had given her a sum of money
to get rid of her claims, and not a yearly allowance. She had certainly
parted with me for money, and took no further care for my happiness.
Mr. McFarlane never told me this before, but he wished to put me on my
guard about this letter."

"My uncle, certainly, must have been a good deal excited when he made
his will," said Jane.

"Mr. McFarlane says he certainly was so, and has no doubt he would have
altered it had he lived a little longer--provided you had not married
Mr. Dalzell, which was his great fear for you."

"Do you feel disposed, then, to answer this letter, or to prosecute any
inquiries?"

"The whole affair is full of such unmitigated bitterness," said
Francis, "that I shrink from stirring it up; but yet I certainly ought
to know if this woman is my mother or not. Should not I, Jane? I rely
on your judgment."

"It is your affair, Francis, not mine. I can scarcely dare to advise."

"What would you do under such circumstances?"

"I cannot tell what, with your character, I would do under such
circumstances," said Jane.

"But with your character, which is a thousand times better than mine,
my dear Jane? Only think for me. Things have been taken so much out of
my hands by this detestable will, that I seem to lose the power of
judging altogether on any matter that relates to it. I cannot aid when
I most wish to do it. My father did not