mother was
so fond. It has never been opened since her death." But Mabel's desire
was of too much consequence, in her lover's eyes, to be passed over,
although all seemed agreed that if it were opened it could not be
played upon; so in a few minutes he procured a smith, who said he
would remove the hinges, and then unscrew the lock from the inside,
which would not injure the cover. This was done; but greatly to poor
Mabel's dismay, the cavity, where strings once had been, was filled
with old papers.

"Now, is not this provoking?" said Mabel, flinging out first one and
then another bundle of letters. "Is not this provoking?"

"No, no," exclaimed Sarah Bond, grasping a lean, long, parchment,
round which an abundance of tape was wound. "No. Who knows what may
be found here?" At once the idea was caught, Mabel thought no more
of the strings. "I cannot," said Sarah Bond to Mr. Goulding, "untie
this; can you?" Her fingers trembled, and she sank on her knees by the
clergyman's side. The eyes of the little group were fixed upon him;
not a word was spoken; every breath was hushed; slowly he unfastened
knot after knot; at last the parchment was unfolded; still, neither
Sarah Bond nor Mabel spoke; the latter gasped for breath--her lips
apart, her cheeks flushed; while Sarah's hands were clasped together,
locked upon her bosom, and every vestige of colour had deserted her
face.

"Be calm, my dear friend," he said, after glancing his eyes over the
parchment; "be calm. You have experienced enough of the changes and
chances of this world not to build too quickly upon any foundation but
the one--the goodness of God; I do believe this is an especial proof
of His Providence, for I do think this is Cornelius Bond Hobart's
original will in your uncle's favour."

It would be useless to attempt a description of the scene that
followed; but the joy at the _reality_ of the discovery was a heartful
temperate joy--the joy of chastened hearts. Sarah Bond, blessing God,
above all things, that, go the law as it would, her father's memory
would now be held as the memory of an honest man; that he had, as she
had said, copied, not forged the will. Mr. Goulding declared he should
find it difficult to forgive himself for having so long prevented the
old furniture from being sent, assuring her, the dread that Mabel was
unfit to contend with the privations to which the lives of humble men
are doomed, made him tremble for the happiness of the young fr