“'Hawke is sinking rapidly,' said he; 'the doctor says he cannot possibly recover.' “'Indeed!' said I, amazed. 'What does he call the malady?' “'He says it's a break-up,--a general smash,--lungs, liver, brain, all destroyed; a common complaint with fellows who have lived hard.' He looked at me steadily, almost fiercely, as he said this, but I seemed quite insensible to his gaze. 'He 'll not leave _her_ a farthing,' added he, after a moment. “'The greater villain he, then,' said I. 'It was for _him_ she ruined herself.' “'Yes, yes, that was all true enough once; but _now_, Master Paul,--now there's another story, you know.' “'If you mean under the guise of a confidence to renew the insults you dared to pass upon me yesterday,' said I, 'I tell you at once I 'll not bear it.' “'Can't you distinguish between friendship and indifference?' said he, warmly. 'I don't ask you to trust me with your secrets, but let us talk like men, not like children. Hawke intends to alter his will to-morrow. It had been made in her favor; at least, he left her this place here, and some small thing he had in Wales; he's going to change everything and leave all to the girl.' “'It can't be a considerable thing, after all,' said I, peevishly, and not well knowing what I said. “'Pardon me,' broke he in; 'he has won far more than any of us suspected. He has in hard cash above two thousand pounds in the house, a mass of acceptances in good paper, and several bonds of first-rate men. I went over his papers this morning with him, and saw his book, too, for the Oaks,--a thing, I suppose, he had never shown to any living man before. He has let us all in there, Paul; he has, by Jove! for while telling us to put all upon Jeremy, he 's going to win with Proserpine!' “I confess the baseness of this treachery sickened me. “'“How Paul will storm, and rave, and curse me when he finds it out,” said he; “but there was no love lost between us.” He never liked you, Hunt,--never.' “'It's not too late yet,' said I, 'to hedge about and save ourselves.' “'No, there's time still, especially if _he_ “hops the twig.” Now,' said he, after a long pause, 'if by any chance he were to die to-night, _she_ 'd be safe; she'd at least inherit some hundreds a year, and a good deal of personal property.' “'There's no chance of _that_, though,' said I, negligently. “'Who told you so, Paul?' said he, with a cunning cast of his eye.' That old drunken doctor said he 'd not insure him for twenty-four hours. A rum old beast he is! Do you know what he said to me awhile ago? “Captain,” said he, “do you know anything about chemistry?” “Nothing whatever,” said I. “Well,” said he, with a hiccup,--for he was far gone in liquor,--“albumen is the antidote to the muriate; and if you want to give him a longer line, let him have an egg to eat”.'” “Good Heavens! Do you mean that he suspected--”