“I am afraid Prescott is hardly eligible for a place on the bench yet, uncle. He is very hard working and clever, but the bar is slow work.” “I suppose he has not much beyond his profession?” “Very little, uncle; I know his income was not sufficient to keep him before he got any practice, and he was obliged to draw upon his capital. But he told me last year that he was paying his expenses now, which was highly satisfactory considering he had only been called four years. Dear old Prescott,” Frank said, enthusiastically, “I wish he could get some very nice girl with plenty of money to marry him.” Frank had at the moment spoken without any special meaning; but Kate, who had long known from Frank where Prescott had given his heart, glanced up at Alice, and saw that the colour had mounted up to her very forehead. Kate drew her own conclusions from this, and at night confided to Frank that she thought that Alice Heathcote would some day carry out his wish regarding Prescott. “Do you mean that you think she will marry him, Kate?” Kate nodded. “He’s an awfully good fellow, Katie; I only hope you may be right. If she does she will have to ask him, for I feel pretty sure Prescott will never summon up courage sufficient to ask her. In spite of Alice being an heiress, and Prescott a poor man, I shall consider her to be a lucky girl.” “I think so, too, Frank; it’s lucky for you he did not come down with you that time into Staffordshire, for there is no saying that I might not have taken a fancy to him.” “Ah, Katie! but he might not have taken a fancy to you.” Frank laughed. “He has been thinking of Alice for I don’t know how long.” “Well, Frank,” Kate said, looking round the room, “the ‘Tasmania’ was well enough, you know, but this is more comfortable after all.” “I should think so,” Frank laughed, “and thank goodness there will be no deck-washing over our heads at five o’clock to-morrow morning.” The next day the party were installed at Torquay. James greeted Frank Maynard with a quiet warmth. He had been rather better during the time that his uncle had been away, and seemed very happy under the quiet nursing of Carry Walker. She came to him every day after breakfast, walked out beside his chair, and went home again to her father during the afternoon, which James spent in the drawing-room with his friends. Dinner over he went up to his room, and there Carry and usually Alice Heathcote chatted or read to him until he went to bed. Evan had now taken the place of his former attendant, and drew him in his chair when he went out. And many were the visitors of Torquay, who looked pityingly back at the evidently dying cripple, and at the quiet sad-looking young lady in mourning who walked beside him. Prescott came down according to promise three or four days after the others, and upon the morning after his arrival, Captain Bradshaw took him aside.