“Dear Nina, you were very generous. I knew that you had made your will that day, but I had no thought that my name was mentioned in it,” said the little lady. “Did you really think I could be so ungrateful as to leave your name out of my will after all the years of kindness I owe you, and all the goodness of Doctor Fielding besides?” inquired Nina, with shining, reproachful eyes. “My dear girl, we had no thought of gain. We were acting solely from love and duty.” “Yes, I know how truly good and unselfish you are, and that Doctor Fielding has refused to let my husband help him in any way. But shall I tell you what we have decided to do?” asked Nina, with a pretty blush drifting over her face as she pronounced the suggestive pronoun “we.” Mrs. Fielding, stooping to caress the baby Nina, gave her an affirmative smile. “You know of course, that papa left me a great deal of money,” said Nina. “Much more than Talbot and I shall ever use, and then there will be plenty for our heirs if we ever have any,” the pretty blush deepening to scarlet. “So we have decided to carry out the conditions of my will just the same as if I had really died.” “Oh, no, no, no! No one would expect it or _wish_ it!” cried Mrs. Fielding, hastily. “No one’s _wishes_ will be consulted,” exclaimed Nina, with a pretty, imperious smile. “I am going to have my own way even if--even if my friends get so angry they will never speak to me again. But you could not be so cruel to me, no matter what I did, could you, my dear old friend and teacher?” cried Nina, suddenly falling into the pretty coaxing ways which she remembered had always vanquished gentle Miss Minnie Selden in the by-gone days. Mrs. Fielding looked at the girl with an affectionate smile and misty eyes. “It would be hard to be angry with you, dear, but I cannot permit such lavish generosity,” she said. “Talbot says,” said Nina, with a world of happy love-light irradiating her exquisite face under the drooping blue plumes that shaded it, “that as I have suffered so much, everyone ought to try to make me happy now. He says he will not permit any one to refuse any request of mine if he can prevent it. So, my dear old friend, there is ten thousand dollars in bank to your credit, and here is your check-book. You must not refuse it. It is for you and my little namesake, Nina. You know she is so pale and puny that she ought to go to the mountains or the sea-shore for the rest of the summer, so you must accept the legacy for baby’s sake!” CHAPTER LIV. THE INVITATION. When Nina went back to the hotel where she was staying after her successful mission of love and generosity she found her husband entertaining some callers who were anxiously awaiting her appearance. They were her devoted friends, Virgie Mason and Helen Starr, attended by their respective cavaliers Duke Cameron and Sydney Mason.