mansion to which Sir Philip had referred, and the plans did not please
him; on the contrary, they terrified.

"Jeeves says that I could not build such a house under L70,000 or
L80,000, and then it will require twice the establishment which will
suffice for this. I shall be ruined," cried the man who had just come
into possession of at least ten thousand a year.

"Sir Philip did not enjoin you to pull down the old house; he only
advised you to do so. Perhaps he thought the site less healthy than
that which he proposes for a new building, or was aware of some other
drawback to the house, which you may discover later. Wait a little and
see before deciding."

"But, at all events, I suppose I must pull down this curious old
room,--the nicest part of the old house!"

Strahan, as he spoke, looked wistfully round at the quaint oak
chimneypiece; the carved ceiling; the well-built solid walls, with
the large mullion casement, opening so pleasantly on the sequestered
gardens. He had ensconced himself in Sir Philip's study, the chamber in
which the once famous mystic, Forman, had found a refuge.

"So cozey a room for a single man!" sighed Strahan. "Near the stables
and dog-kennels, too! But I suppose I must pull it down. I am not bound
to do so legally; it is no condition of the will. But in honour and
gratitude I ought not to disobey poor Sir Philip's positive injunction."

"Of that," said I, gravely, "there cannot be a doubt." Here our
conversation was interrupted by Mrs. Gates, who informed us that dinner
was served in the library. Wine of great age was brought from the long
neglected cellars; Strahan filled and re-filled his glass, and, warmed
into hilarity, began to talk of bringing old college friends around him
in the winter season, and making the roof-tree ring with laughter and
song once more.

Time wore away, and night had long set in, when Strahan at last rose
from the table, his speech thick and his tongue unsteady. We returned to
the study, and I reminded my host of the special object of my visit to
him,--namely, the inspection of Sir Philip's manuscript.

"It is tough reading," said Strahan; "better put it off till tomorrow.
You will stay here two or three days."

"No; I must return to L---- to-morrow. I cannot absent myself from
my patients. And it is the more desirable that no time should be lost
before examining the contents of the manuscript, because probably they
may give some clew to the detection of