d, for it's a nice pot of money, and we'll miss it
damnably. But since somebody had to have it, I'd much rather it was
you, my boy, than a set of infernal, hypocritical, philanthropic
sharks, and I'm damn' glad Frederick has done the square thing by
you--yes, begad!"

The old gentleman was standing beside Mr. Woods in the vestibule of
Selwoode, some distance from the other members of the house-party,
and was speaking in confidence. He was sincere; I don't say that
the thought of facing the world at sixty-five with practically
no resources save his half-pay--I think I have told you that the
Colonel's diversions had drunk up his wife's fortune and his own like
a glass of water--I don't say that this thought moved him to hilarity.
Over it, indeed, he pulled a frankly grave face.

But he cared a deal for Billy; and even now there was balm--soothing,
priceless balm--to be had of the reflection that this change in
his prospects affected materially the prospects of those cultured,
broad-minded, philanthropic persons who had aforetime set his daughter
to requiring of him a perusal of Herbert Spencer.

Billy was pretty well aware how monetary matters stood with the old
wastrel; and the sincerity of the man affected him far more than the
most disinterested sentiments would have done. Mr. Woods accordingly
shook hands, with entirely unnecessary violence.

"You're a trump, that's what you are!" he declared; "oh, yes, you are,
Colonel! You're an incorrigible, incurable old ace of trumps--the
very best there is in the pack--and it's entirely useless for you to
attempt to conceal it."

"Gad----!" said the Colonel.

"And don't you worry about that will," Mr. Woods advised. "I--I can't
explain things just now, but it's all right. You just wait--just wait
till I've seen Peggy," Billy urged, in desperation, "and I'll explain
everything."

"By gad----!" said the Colonel. But Mr. Woods was half-way out of the
vestibule.

Mr. Woods was in an unenviable state of perturbation.

He could not quite believe that Peggy had destroyed the will; the
thing out-Heroded Herod, out-Margareted Margaret. But if she had,
it struck him as a high-handed proceeding, entailing certain
vague penalties made and provided by the law to cover just such
cases--penalties of whose nature he was entirely ignorant and didn't
care to think. Heavens! for all he knew, that angel might have let
herself in for a jail sentence.

Billy pictured that queen among wo