u are thinking
of marrying?"

"I am not thinking of marrying anyone."

"Or that you love any other man?"

"You are cross-questioning me, aunt, more than is fair."

"Then there is some one?"

"No, there is nobody. What I say about John I don't say through any
feeling for anybody else."

"Then, my dear, I think that a little talk between you and me may
make this matter all right. I'm sure you don't doubt John when he
says that he loves you very dearly. As for your loving him, of course
that would come. It is not as if you two were two young people, and
that you wanted to be billing and cooing. Of course you ought to be
fond of each other, and like each other's company; and I have no
doubt that you will. You and I would, of course, be thrown very much
together, and I'm sure I'm very fond of you. Indeed, Margaret, I have
endeavoured to show that I am."

"You've been very kind, aunt."

"Therefore as to your loving him, I really don't think there need
be any doubt about that. Then, my dear, as to the other part of
the arrangement,--the money and all that. If you were to have any
children, your own fortune would be settled on them; at least, that
could be arranged, if you required it; though, as your fortune all
came from the Balls, and is the very money with which the title was
intended to be maintained, you probably would not be very exacting
about that. Stop a moment, my dear, and let me finish before you
speak. I want you particularly to think of what I say, and to
remember that all your money did come from the Balls. It has been
very hard upon John,--you must feel that. Look at him with his heavy
family, and how he works for them!"

"But my uncle Jonathan died and left his money to my brothers before
John was married. It is twenty-five years ago."

"Well I remember it, my dear! John was just engaged to Rachel, and
the marriage was put off because of the great cruelty of Jonathan's
will. Of course I am not blaming you."

"I was only ten years old, and uncle Jonathan did not leave me a
penny. My money came to me from my brother; and, as far as I can
understand, it is nearly double as much as he got from Sir John's
brother."

"That may be; but John would have doubled it quite as readily as
Walter Mackenzie. What I mean to say is this, that as you have the
money which in the course of nature would have come to John, and
which would have been his now if a great injustice had not been
done--"

"It was done b