The legatee laid down the paper, and leaned her head softly on her fair hand, and her eyes explored vacancy. "What means all this?" said she, aloud, but to herself. Mr. Houseman undertook the office of interpreter. "Means? why that he has left you one of the snuggest estates in the county. 'Tis not quite so large as Bolton; but lies sunnier, and the land richer. Well, mistress, was I right, are you not good for a thousand pounds?" Kate, still manifestly thinking of something else, let fall, as it were, out of her mouth that Mr. Gaunt and Mr. Neville were both men in the flower of their youth, and how was she the richer for their folly? "Why," said Houseman, "you will not have to wait for the death of these testators--Heaven forbid!--But what does all this making of wills show me? That both these gentlemen are deep in love with you, and you can pick and choose: I say you can wed with Bolton Hall or Neville's Court to-morrow: so prithee let the Squire have his hundred pounds, and do you repay me at your leisure." Miss Peyton made no reply, but leaned her exquisite head upon her hand and pondered. She did not knit her brows, nor labour visibly at the mental oar: yet a certain reposeful gravity and a fixity of the thoughtful eye showed she was applying all the power's of her mind. Mr. Houseman was not surprised at that: his own wife had but little intellect; yet had he seen her weigh two rival bonnets in mortal silence, and with all the seeming profundity of a judge on the bench. And now this young lady was doubtless weighing Farms with similar gravity, care, and intelligence. But as this continued and still she did not communicate her decision, he asked her point-blank which of the two she settled to wed: Neville's Court, or Bolton Grange. Thus appealed to, Miss Peyton turned her great eye on him without really looking at him, and replied,--"You have made me very uneasy." He stared. She relapsed into thought a moment, and then, turning to Houseman, asked him how _he_ accounted for those two gentlemen making their wills; they were very young to make their wills all of a sudden. "Why," said Houseman, "Mr. Neville is a man of sense, and every man of sense makes his will; and, as for Mr. Gaunt, he has just come into prospect of an estate; that's why." "All, but why could not Griffith wait till after the funeral?" "Oh, clients are always in a hurry." "So you see nothing in it? nothing alarming I mean?" "Nothing very alarming. Two landed proprietors in love with you; that is all." "But, dear Mr. Houseman, that is what makes me uneasy: at this rate they must look on one another as--as--rivals: and you know rivals are sometimes enemies." "Oh I see now," said Houseman: "you apprehend a quarrel between the gentlemen. Of course there is no love lost between them; but they met in my office and saluted each other with perfect civility. I saw them with my own eyes."