‘My dear James,’ said Lady William, ‘Lord Will will excuse you from all condolence, I am sure. There can be no shock to Mab, who has scarcely heard her uncle’s name: and to the other members of the family the shock is also softened by, I believe, the joys of inheritance. For he has not carried his money with him, which is always a good thing.’ ‘I did not think to hear, Emily, any such cynical speech from you.’ ‘But it is true,’ said Leo Swinford, ‘and my friend has come for the reason of communicating this intelligence, _n’est-ce pas_, Will?--which Lady William did not understand, I am sure, yesterday. Lord John has died without any will: his fortune, which is all personal, is therefore divided--is not that so?--between the nearest relations: therefore, Miss Mab, on account of her father, will become----’ ‘Bless me!’ said the Rector. He had seated himself in order to do justice to the new acquaintance who was at the same time a connection, but now he sprang to his feet. ‘Bless me!’ he said, ‘an heiress! I must congratulate Mab. Emily, my dear----’ ‘An heiress is a big word,’ said Lord Will, who had sucked his cane with anything but a countenance of delight while Leo was speaking. ‘There’s money,’ said the young man, ‘but it would be a pity to make the mistake of thinking it’s a big fortune. I told you,’ he said, turning to Lady William, ‘last night. I said there was no will.’ Lady William had grown very pale. ‘I did not understand,’ she said faintly. ‘I was not aware--and that my Mab would come in----’ The news had rather a painful than exhilarating effect upon her. She gave her brother an anxious look, then turned to the young man whose explanations were so disjointed. ‘It was kind, very kind,’ she said, with a troublous smile, ‘to come and hunt us up--strangers to you--to tell us this.’ ‘Oh! as for that----’ said Lord Will. ‘You have no idea, dear lady,’ said Leo, ‘how disinterested, how high-minded are the golden youth in England. They will go any distance to make such an announcement, never thinking that what is given to another diminishes their own share.’ ‘Shut up, Swinford,’ growled Lord Will over his cane. ‘I hope,’ said the Rector, smiling, ‘that Mr. Swinford does not think this is any information to us, Emily? I hope I know what the instinct of an English gentleman is. To a lady in my sister’s position, living out of the world, who might never have heard even of the death, let alone the inheritance, that feeling is the best protection--as I hope we both know.’