than her ordinary gravity and
formality: "I did not know where to send for him. He left London some
days ago. Perhaps you would read the letter, ma'am."

She offered Sheila an open letter. The girl saw that it was in her
husband's handwriting, but she shrank from it as though she were
violating the secrets of the grave.

"Oh no," she said, "I cannot do that."

"Mrs. Lavender, ma'am, meant you to read it, after she had had her
will altered. She told me so. It is a very sad thing, ma'am, that she
did not live to carry out her intentions; for she has been inquiring,
ma'am, these last few days as to how she could leave everything to
you, ma'am, which she intended; and now the other will--"

"Oh, don't talk about that!" said Sheila. It seemed to her that the
dead body in the other room would be laughing hideously, if only it
could, at this fulfillment of all the sardonic prophecies that Mrs.
Lavender used to make.

"I beg your pardon, ma'am," Paterson said in the same formal way, as
if she were a machine set to work in a particular direction, "I only
mentioned the will to explain why Mrs. Lavender wished you to read
this letter."

"Read the letter, Sheila," said her father.

The girl took it and carried it to the window. While she was there,
old Mackenzie, who had fewer scruples about such matters, and who
had the curiosity natural to a man of the world, said to Mrs.
Paterson--not loud enough for Sheila to overhear--"I suppose, then,
the poor old lady has left her property to her nephew?"

"Oh no, sir," said Mrs. Paterson, somewhat sadly, for she fancied she
was the bearer of bad news. "She had a will drawn out only a short
time ago, and nearly everything is left to Mr. Ingram."

"To Mr. Ingram?"

"Yes," said the woman, amazed to see that Mackenzie's face, so
far from evincing displeasure, seemed to be as delighted as it was
surprised.

"Yes, sir," said Mrs. Paterson: "I was one of the witnesses. But Mrs.
Lavender changed her mind, and was very anxious that everything should
go to your daughter, if it could be done; and Mr. Appleyard, sir, was
to come here to-morrow forenoon."

"And has Mr. Lavender got no money whatever?" said Sheila's father,
with an air that convinced Mrs. Paterson that he was a revengeful man,
and was glad his son-in-law should be so severely punished.

"I don't know, sir," she replied, careful not to go beyond her own
sphere.

Sheila came back from the window. She had taken a long tim