have always trusted him implicitly, and
I hope he is not going to bring trouble upon us now, although I do
not, I confess, understand the presence of his friends or their
connection with my cousin."

"My dear Clara," said Arnold again, "I ask for nothing but patience.
And that only for a few moments. As for the papers, you have them all
in your possession?"

"Yes; they are locked up in my strong-box."

"Do not, on any account, give them to anybody. However, after this
morning you will not be asked. Have you taken as yet any steps at all
for the transference of your property to--to the rightful heir?"

"Not yet."

"Thank goodness! And now, Clara, I will ask you, as soon as Dr.
Washington and--your cousin--are in the drawing-room, to ring the
bell. You need not explain why. We will answer the summons, and we
will give all the explanations that may be required."

"I will not have my cousin vexed, Arnold."

"You shall not. Your cousin shall never be vexed by me as long as I
live."

"And Dr. Washington must not be in any way offended. Consider the
feelings of an American gentleman, Arnold. He is my guest."

"You may thoroughly rely upon my consideration for the feelings of an
American gentleman. Go; there is a knock at the door. Go to receive
him, and, when both are in the room, ring the bell."

Joe was in excellent spirits that morning. His interview with Lala Roy
convinced him that nothing whatever was known of the papers, therefore
nothing could be suspected. What a fool, he thought, must be his
grandfather, to have had these papers in his hands for eighteen years
and never to have opened the packet, in obedience to the injunction of
a dead man! Had it been his own case, he would have opened the papers
without the least delay, mastered the contents, and instantly claimed
the property. He would have gone on to use it for his own purposes and
private gain, and with an uninterrupted run of eighteen years, he
would most certainly have made a very pretty thing out of it.

However, everything works well for him who greatly dares. His wife
would manage for him better than he could do it for himself. Yet a few
weeks, and the great fortune would fall into his hands. He walked all
the way to Chester Square, considering how he should spend the money.
There are some forms of foolishness, such as, say, those connected
with art, literature, charity, and work for others, which attract some
rich men, but which he was not a