'You are right. The investments are unfortunately and disproportionately small.' 'She ought either to have them all, or there should be a charge on the estate,' said the Canoness decisively. 'If possible, he must be made to move.' 'Oh, don't!' cried Nuttie, jumping up from the floor. 'He mustn't be upset on any account.' 'My dear, I had no notion that you heard us!' exclaimed her aunt. 'I thought Alwyn was making too much noise with his soldiers.' 'I beg your pardon,' said Nuttie, 'perhaps I should have spoken sooner, but indeed he must not be worried and disturbed,' she added, somewhat fiercely. 'Don't be afraid, my dear,' said her aunt. 'Mr. Bulfinch knows that your father is in no condition to have such matters brought before him.' 'Certainly,' said the old lawyer politely;' and we will trust that Miss Egremont's prospects may soon come forward on a more auspicious occasion.' Nuttie could have beaten him, but she was obliged to content herself with such a sweeping charge of her Zulus among Alwyn's Englishmen, that their general shrieked out in indignation against such a variation of the accustomed programme of all their games. Nuttie thought she had defended her patient sufficiently, but she found she had been mistaken, for when her aunt had left them, some days later, her father began, 'We are well quit of her. Those troublesome dictatorial women always get worse when they are left widows--taking upon them to say what their dear husbands would have said, forsooth.' 'Aunt Jane was very kind to me,' said Ursula, not in the least knowing what he was thinking of. 'To you. Ay, I should think so, taking upon her to lecture me about securing a provision for you.' 'Oh! I hoped--' 'What?' he broke in. 'You knew of it! You set her on, I suppose.' 'Oh! no, no, father. She and Mr. Bulfinch began about it, not meaning me to hear--about a will, I mean--and I told them I wasn't going to have you worried, and I thought I had stopped it altogether.' 'Stop a woman bent on her duty? Hein! But you are a good girl, and shall come to no loss when we have to make your marriage settlement.' 'You won't have to do that, father!' 'Hein! What do you keep that poor fellow Clarence Fane dangling in attendance on you for?' 'I don't! I'm sure I don't want him. I would do anything to keep him at a distance!' 'How now! I thought your Grace condescended to him more than to any one else.' 'I don't dislike him unless he has _that_ in his head; but as to marrying him! Oh--h--h,' such a note of horror that elicited a little laugh. 'So hot against him, are we? Who is it then? Not the umbrella fellow?' 'Father! how can you?' she cried, with a burning flush of indignation. He--why--he! He has always been a sort of uncle, ever since I was a little girl.' 'Oh yes, adopted uncles are very devout when young ladies rush out to morning prayers at unearthly hours--'