end, the Signorina Camilla Spondi;
and it was stated, and very fully explained, that Camilla Spondi was
the Italian lady living at the Grange at the date on which the will
was made. Of the old lord's heir, the now existing Earl Lovel, no
mention was made whatever. There were, however, two other clauses
or parts in the will. There was a schedule giving in detail the
particulars of the property left to Camilla Spondi; and there was
a rambling statement that the maker of the will acknowledged Anna
Murray to be his illegitimate daughter,--that Anna Murray's mother
had never been the testator's legitimate wife, as his real wife,
the true Countess Lovel, for whom he had separately made adequate
provision, was still alive in Sicily at the date of that will,--and
that by a former will now destroyed he had made provision for
Anna Murray, which provision he had revoked in consequence of
the treatment which he had received from Josephine Murray and
her friends. They who believed the statements made in this will
afterwards asserted that Anna had been deprived of her inheritance by
the blow with which the tailor had felled the Earl to the earth.

To Camilla Spondi intimation was given of the contents of the Earl's
will as far as they concerned her; but she was told at the same time
that no portion of the dead man's wealth would be placed in her hands
till the courts should have decided whether or no the old lord had
been sane or insane when he signed the document. A sum of money was,
however, given her, on condition that she should take her immediate
departure;--and she departed. With her personally we need have no
further concern. Of her cause and of her claim some mention must be
made; but in a few pages she will drop altogether from our story.

A copy of the will was also sent to the lawyers who had hitherto
taken charge of the interests of the repudiated Countess, and it
was intimated that the allowance hitherto made to her must now of
necessity cease. If she thought fit to prosecute any further claim,
she must do so by proving her marriage;--and it was explained to her,
probably without much of legal or precise truth in the explanation,
that such proof must include the disproving of the assertion made in
the Earl's will. As it was the intention of the heir to set aside
that will, such assurance was, to say the least of it, disingenuous.
But the whole thing had now become so confused that it could hardly
be expected that lawye