er in all his real estate, in case she survived
him. This annoyed Hiram greatly.

He got along with the matter in a business way. Arabella herself was
called in. Hiram announced, in general terms, what he proposed to do,
and suggested that he was ready to leave her a sum certain, provided she
would relinquish her rights in the real estate.

Under ordinary circumstances Arabella would have been indignant; but her
thoughts were of her son, now a wanderer from his home. She was
tolerably familiar with the laws which regulate property. She knew if
she insisted on her dower, which she had a right to do, that however
affluent she would be while she lived, she would have nothing to leave
her child. She did not give Belle a thought.

After a good deal of haggling, it was agreed that Hiram should give her
by his will three hundred thousand dollars (just about the sum, by the
way, she brought her husband), together with the household furniture,
plate, horses, carriages, and so forth, and the use of the house during
her life.

This settled, Hiram was left free to follow out his ambitious plans for
raising a monument to--himself.

These occupy him entirely. So much so, that he has no time to look
forward to the great future which cannot now be very far off to him.
Indeed, strange as one may think, although Hiram feels well assured of
his title to the kingdom, he _thinks_ very little about it; neither does
the prospect give him the least satisfaction.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, where is Harriet? What has become of Belle! How did Gus turn
out?

Harriet survived longer than one would have imagined, considering the
progress disease had made when we first became acquainted with her.
While she lived, she could not fail to impart her influence--the
influence of a gentle and a chastened spirit--over the whole household.

I have already intimated that there was a new tie between her and her
mother--the worldly minded and fashionable Arabella. It was in the
interest which both felt in Gus. It seemed to be the chief object of
Harriet in living, to bring back her brother to his home, and to see him
in the right path. The mother longed to bring about the same thing, but
probably for very different reasons from those which actuated the dying
girl. But here their sympathies met, and they could act in concert. Gus
had always been sensibly alive to Harriet's regard for him. He loved her
with real affection; and