stretched out as if to seize
her shoulders, his face became tortured--he swayed. She caught him. She
lowered him to the floor, and put a hassock under his head. Then she
rang the bell--rang it--and rang again.

When help came, all was too late. John Grier had gone for ever.

CHAPTER XVII. THE READING OF THE WILL

As Tarboe stood in the church alone at the funeral, in a pew behind John
Grier's family, sadness held him. He had known, as no one else knew,
that the business would pass into his own hands. He suddenly felt his
task too big for him, and he looked at Carnac now with sympathy. Carnac
had brains, capacity, could almost take his father's place; he was
tactful, intuitive, alert. Yet Carnac, at present, was out of the
question. He knew the stress of spirit which had turned Carnac from the
opportunity lying at his feet.

In spite of himself there ran through his mind another thought. Near
by, at the left, dressed in mourning also, was Junia. He had made up
his mind that Junia should be his, and suddenly the usefulness of the
business about to fall into his hands became a weapon in the field of
Love. He was physically a finer man than Carnac; he had capacity; he had
personality; and he would have money and position--for a time at least.
In that time, why should he not win this girl with the wonderful eyes
and hair, with the frankness and candour of unspoiled girlhood in her
face? Presently he would be in the blare of sensation, in the height of
as dramatic an episode as comes to the lives of men; and in the episode
he saw advantages which should weigh with any girl.

Then had come the reading of the will after the funeral rites were over,
and he, with the family, were gathered in the dining-room of the House
on the Hill.

He was scarcely ready, however, for the prodigious silence following the
announcement read by the lawyer. He felt as though life was suspended
for many minutes, when it was proclaimed that he, Luke Tarboe, would
inherit the property. Although he knew of the contents of the will his
heart was thumping like a sledge-hammer.

He looked round the room slowly. The only embarrassment to be seen
was on the faces of Fabian and his wife. Mrs. Grier and Carnac showed
nothing. Carnac did not even move; by neither gesture nor motion of body
did he show aught. At the close of it all, he came to Tarboe and held
out a hand.

"Good luck to you, Tarboe!" he said. "You'll make a success, and that's
wha