to his feet.

"Look here, Paul Capel," he cried angrily; "you have taken upon yourself
several times since I have been locked-up here with you to use
confoundedly offensive language to me. How dare you speak to me like
that?"

"Dare?" cried Capel, rising. "Pooh!" he ejaculated, throwing himself
back, and glancing at Katrine, whose eyes seemed to flash with eager
pleasure, while Lydia half rose, with extended hands; "I am forgetting
myself."

Lydia sank back with a sigh, while Katrine's eyes flashed, and her lip
curled.

"Forgetting yourself!" cried Artis. "By Jove, sir, you've done nothing
else! I suppose you expect to have all the old man's money, but we
shall see."

"Don't be alarmed, Miss Lawrence," said Capel, smiling. "I am not going
to quarrel. Ah, here is Mr Girtle."

The door opened, and Charles entered, with two more lighted candles, one
in each hand, preceding Mr Girtle, who came in bearing a large tin deed
box. This he slowly proceeded to place upon the carpet beside a small
table, on which Charles deposited the candlesticks.

"I think I am punctual," said the lawyer, taking his old gold watch from
his fob, and replacing it with a nod. "Yes, nearly half-past eleven.
Charles, will you summon all the servants. I think everyone is
mentioned in the will," he added, as Charles left the room. "You will
excuse all formalities. I am strictly obeying instructions as to time
and place."

The old gentleman took a jingling bunch of keys from his pocket, bent
down and opened the tin box, from which he took out a square folded
parchment, crossed with broad green ribbons, and bearing a great seal.

This he laid upon the table before him, and sinking back in his chair,
proceeded to deliberately take snuff. A dead silence reigned, and, in
spite of himself, Paul Capel felt agitated, and sought from time to time
to catch Katrine's eye; while Lydia looked from one to the other sadly,
and Gerard Artis lay back in his chair.

The door once more opened, and the servants filed in, led by Preenham,
the butler, Ramo coming last, to stand with his arms folded and his head
bent down upon his chest.

"Be seated," said Mr Girtle; and his voice sounded solemn and strange.

There was a rustling as the servants sat down in a row near the door,
Ramo doubling his legs beneath him, and crouching on the floor.

"The last will and testament of John Arthur Capel, late Colonel in the
Honourable East India Company's Ser