e," with which Alaric dismissed the whole matter.

"Then I may take it you refuse?" queried the astonished lawyer.

"Absolutely!" from Mrs. Chichester.

"Entirely!" from Ethel.

"I should say so!" and Alaric brought up the rear.

Mr. Hawkes gathered up his papers and in a tone of regret ventured:
"Then there is nothing more to be said. I was only carrying out the
dead man's wishes by coming here and making the facts known to you. Mr.
Kingsnorth was of the opinion that you were well provided for and,
that, outside of the sentimental reason that the girl was your own
niece, the additional thousand pounds a year might be welcome as, say,
pin-money for your daughter."

Ethel laughed her dry, cheerless little laugh. "Ha! Pin-money!"

Alaric grew suddenly grave and drew his mother and sister out of Mr.
Hawkes' vicinity.

"Listen, mater--Ethel. It's a cool thousand, you know? Thousands don't
grow on raspberry bushes when your bank's gone up. What do ye think,
eh?"

Mrs. Chichester brightened:

"It would keep things together," she said.

"The wolf from the door," urged Alaric.

"No charity," chimed in Ethel.

Mrs. Chichester looked from daughter to son. "Well? What do you think?"

"Whatever you say, mater," from Alaric.

"You decide, mamma," from Ethel.

"We might try it for a while, at least," said Mrs. Chichester.

"Until we can look around," agreed Alaric.

"Something may be saved from the wreck," reasoned Mrs. Chichester more
hopefully.

"Until _I_ get really started," said Alaric with a sense of climax.

Mrs. Chichester turned to her daughter: "Ethel?"

"Whatever you decide, mamma."

Mrs. Chichester thought a moment--then decided "I'll do it," she said
determinedly. "It will be hard, but I'll do it." She went slowly and
deliberately to Mr. Hawkes, who by this time had disposed of all his
documents and was preparing to go. A look in Mrs. Chichester's face
stopped him. He smiled at her. "Well?" he asked.

"For the sake of the memory of my dead sister, I will do as Nathaniel
wished," said Mrs. Chichester with great dignity and self-abnegation.

Mr. Hawkes breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good!" he said. "I'm delighted. It is splendid. Now that you have
decided so happily there is one thing more I must tell you. The young
lady is not to be told the conditions of the will, unless at the
discretion of the executors should, some crisis arise. She will be to
all intents and purposes--your GUEST. In that