the great Tollington
fortune of which he was one of the trustees, though as I believe--as I
know, in fact--he never handled the money."

She looked surprised.

"It is curious that you should ask that," she said. "Mr. Doughton is
engaged in searching for the heir to that fortune."

Debenham nodded.

"So I understand," he said. "I ask because I received a communication
from the other trustees in America, and I am afraid your future
husband's search will be unavailing unless he can produce the heir
within the next forty-eight hours."

"Why is that?" she asked in surprise.

"The terms of the will are peculiar," said Mr. Debenham, walking up and
down as he spoke. "The Tollington fortune, as you may know----"

"I know nothing about it," she interrupted.

"Then I will tell you." He smiled. "The fortune descends to the heir and
to his wife in equal proportions."

"Suppose he is not blessed with a wife?" She smiled with something like
her old gaiety.

"In that case the money automatically goes to the woman the heir
eventually marries. But the terms of the will are that the heir shall be
discovered within twenty years of the date of Tollington's death. The
time of grace expires to-morrow."

"Poor Frank," she said, shaking her head, "and he is working so hard
with his clues! I suppose if he does not produce that mysterious
individual by to-morrow there will be no reward for him?"

The lawyer shook his head.

"I should hardly think it likely," he said, "because the reward is for
the man who complies with the conditions of the will within a stipulated
time. It was because I knew Mr. Doughton had some interest in it, and
because also"--he hesitated--"I thought that your uncle might have taken
you into his confidence."

"That he might have told me who this missing person was, and that he
himself knew; and for some reason suppressed the fact?" she asked,
quickly. "Is that what you suggest, Mr. Debenham?"

"Please do not be angry with me," said the lawyer, quickly; "I do not
wish to say anything against Mr. Farrington; but I know he was a very
shrewd and calculating man, and I thought possibly that he might have
taken you that much into his confidence, and that you might be able to
help your future husband a part of the way to a very large sum of
money."

She shook her head again.

"I have absolutely no knowledge of the subject. My uncle never took me
into his confidence," she said; "he was very uncommunicative w