olicitor, "I may safely say as much as this. No
one who had the smallest grounds for expecting anything will find
himself left out in the cold."

"Thank you, sir." Dale had raised his eyes, and, while speaking now,
in the same sententious manner, he seemed to be observing Mr.
Cleaver's face very closely. "The fact is, my wife and I had no
grounds whatever for expecting to be singled out for special rewards.
On the contrary, it was never in my wife's power to render the long
and faithful service rendered by the others; so that if a bequest had
fallen to us while others of the Petherick clan--if I may employ that
expression--had bin passed over, it might have bin difficult for us to
benefit to the detriment of the rest of 'em--at least, without causing
fam'ly squabbles."

"Then I'll freely reassure you. Such a contingency will not arise.
No," and Mr. Cleaver's tone became heartily enthusiastic. "It is a
beautiful will. You'll see all the particulars in the newspapers
before a week is over, and you'll say that no critic--however hard to
please--could find fault. It is a will that is bound to attract the
attention of the press."

"Then thank you again, sir. And good afternoon--with renewed thanks
for the courteous way you wrote to my wife, and received the two of us
to-day."

"Good afternoon." Mr. Cleaver smiled and shook hands good-humoredly.
"My congratulations, Mrs. Dale; and one word of advice, free gratis.
Invest your legacy wisely, and don't confound capital with income.
You're going to have two thousand pounds all told, not two thousand a
year, you know."

"Oh, no, sir--I wouldn't be so foolish as to think so."

They had tea at a pastry-cook's in complete silence, and they were
half-way home again before Mavis ventured to rouse her husband from
his ominous gloom.

"Will," she said, with an assumption of calmness and confidence, "I
didn't at once catch the drift of what you were saying to Mr. Cleaver,
and when I tried to stop you it was because I was all on edge from
hearing such a tremendous piece of news. Such a lot more than ever I
could have _dreamed_ of."

He did not answer. Steadily watching the horse's ears, and holding the
reins in both hands with the conscientious care of an unpractised
coachman, he drove down the slope to the Cross Roads and round the
corner into the woods.

"No, but I soon saw what was passing through your mind, Will. You
wanted to make quite sure that there would be nothing to