“You distress yourself unnecessarily about a thing which was done with no intention to injure me. I know, of course, that you would not wish me to give up the home I love so well; but, Magdalen, if there was a later will it ought to be found, and restitution made.” “You do _not_ believe there was such a will,—you surely do not,” Magdalen asked, excitedly; and Roger replied: “No, I do not. If I did I would move heaven and earth to find it, for in that case I should have been living all these years on what belonged to others. Don’t look so frightened, Magdalen,” Roger continued, playfully touching her cheek, which had grown pale at the mere idea of his being obliged to give up Millbank. “No harm should come to you. I should take care of my little girl. I would work with my hands if necessary, and you could help me. How would you like that?” It was rather a dangerous situation for a girl like Magdalen. Her hands were imprisoned by Roger, whose eyes rested so kindly upon her as he spoke of their working for each other and asked how she would like it. _How would she like it?_ She was a woman, with all a woman’s impulses. And Roger Irving was a splendid-looking man, with something very winning in his voice and manner, and it is not strange if at that moment a life of toil with Roger looked more desirable to Magdalen than a life of ease at Millbank without him. “If it ever chances that you leave Millbank, I will gladly work like a slave for you, to atone, if possible, for my meddlesome curiosity in trying to find that will,” Magdalen replied; and Roger responded: “I wish you to find it if there is one, and I give you full permission to search as much and as often as you like. You spoke of Hester’s having come upon you once when you were looking; where were you then?” “Up in the garret,” Magdalen said. “There are piles of rubbish there, and an old barrel of papers. I was tumbling them over, and I remember now that Hester said something about its being worse for me if the will was found; and she was very cross for several days, and very rude to Mrs. Irving, who, she said, ‘put me up.’ She never liked Mrs. Irving much, although latterly she has treated her very civilly.”