for Mabel to have
such a provision for life."

A slight smile passed across Mr. Withers' face, and his wife saw that
that was not at all the way in which he looked at it.

"That is just like you men, James," she said a little pettishly. "You
ask us what we think about things when you have perfectly made up your
minds what you mean to do, whether we agree with you or not."

"I don't think that's often the case with us. Still I did want to see
whether the matter would have struck you at once in the same light in
which I see it, and I perceive that it has not."

"Well, James, let me hear your view of the matter. I dare say I shall
agree with you when you tell me what it is."

"Well, then, Amy," Mr. Withers said seriously, "it appears to me that
we cannot accept this offer for Mabel."

Mrs. Withers looked a little blank. The living was not a rich one, and
assured as they had been by Mr. Penfold that he intended to provide
for Mabel, they had not endeavored to lay by anything for her, and had
freely dispensed their surplus income among the sick and needy of the
parish. The disappearance of the will had disappointed their hopes,
and raised many anxious thoughts in Mrs. Withers' mind respecting
Mabel's future, and the offer contained in the letter had therefore
filled her with pleasure. But she greatly valued her husband's
judgment, and therefore only replied:

"Why, dear?"

"Well, you see, wife, we are both thoroughly agreed that these ladies
are depriving Mabel of the fortune Herbert Penfold left her. They are
concealing or have destroyed his will, and are at present in what we
may call fraudulent possession of his property. Now, I do not think
that under these circumstances we can accept a favor at their hands.
To do so would be practically to acquiesce in what we consider the
robbery of our child, and the acceptance would of course involve a
renewal of friendly relations with them; a thing which, believing as
we do that they are acting wickedly would be distasteful in the
extreme, not to say impossible."

"Of course you are right, dear," Mrs. Withers said, rising from her
seat and going over and kissing her husband tenderly. "I had not
thought of it in that light at all. In fact I had hardly thought about
it at all, except that it would be nice to see Mabel provided for."

"It would be nice, my dear. But we surely need not be anxious about
her. We may hope that she will make a happy marriage. We may hope too