ent in for a
pleasant evening.

And it _was_ a pleasant evening! Besides preliminary tea and buns,
there were speeches, songs, recitations, etcetera,--all being received
with immense satisfaction by a crowded house, which had not yet risen to
the unenviable heights of classical taste and _blaseism_. As for Miles
and Marion, nothing came amiss to them! If a singer had put B flat in
the place of A natural they would have accepted it as quite natural. If
a humourist had said the circle was a square, they would have believed
it--in a sense--and tried to square their reason accordingly.

But nothing is without alloy in this life. To the surprise of Miles and
his mother, their "kind little lawyer" also made his appearance in the
hall. More than that, he insisted, by signs, that Miles should go out
and speak with him. But Miles was obdurate. He was anchored, and
nothing but cutting the cable could move him from his anchorage.

At last the "kind little man" pushed his way through the crowd.

"I _must_ have a word with you, my dear sir. It is of importance," he
said.

Thus adjured, Miles unwillingly cut the cable, and drifted into a
passage.

"My dear sir," said the little man, seizing his hand, "I congratulate
you."

"You're very kind, but pray, explain why."

"I find that you are heir to a considerable fortune."

Miles was somewhat interested in this, and asked, "How's that?"

"Well, you remember Hardy's will, which you put into my hands a few days
ago?"

"Yes; what then? _That_ can't be the fortune!"

"Indeed it is. Hardy, you remember, made you his residuary legatee. I
find, on inquiry, that the old cousin you told me about, who meant to
leave all his money to build a hospital, changed his mind at the last
and made out a will in favour of Hardy, who was his only relative. So,
you see, you, being Hardy's heir, have come into possession of something
like two thousand a year."

To this Miles replied by a whistle of surprise, and then said, "Is that
all?"

"Upon my word, sir," said the `kind little lawyer,' in a blaze of
astonishment, "you appear to take this communication in a peculiar
manner!"

"You mistake me," returned Miles, with a laugh. "I don't mean `is that
all the fortune?' but `is that all you have to say?'"

"It is, and to my mind I have said a good deal."

"You certainly have. And, believe me, I am not indifferent or
unthankful, but--but--the fact is, that at present I am _parti