“I am extremely sorry to hear all this,” he said. “I was pretty certain there was no will, because Mr. Kemper had spoken to me about drawing one up for him, telling me that he intended leaving the bulk of his property to his wife and daughter, but not going sufficiently into particulars to enable me to write out the instrument without further instructions. These he delayed giving me from time to time, being always so much occupied with his business. If you were, as I always believed till now, his own child, the omission would make little or no difference; but as it is, it leaves you quite unprovided for. If I had known the truth I should have urged him strongly to attend to the matter without delay. It’s a bad business, a very bad business for you, Miss Floy! I feel for you from the bottom of my heart, and I would do anything in the world I could to help you.” “I believe it, Mr. Crosby,” she said with emotion, “and if you will undertake--” “To communicate with the heirs at law? Certainly; and I shall try to induce them to allow your claim to a share in the property you have so generously resigned to them--” “Not generously, Mr. Crosby,” she interrupted, “only justly.” “Ah, well, if you will have it so; but Miss Floy, you might have kept the secret revealed by your mother locked up in your own breast, and retained the property without the least danger of interference from any one. Did you know that?” She gave a silent assent. “And even leaving the inheritance of the estate out of the question, you would have been glad to keep the secret?” “Yes; oh, yes!” she said, covering her face with her hands, while the tears trickled between her fingers. He looked at her with undisguised admiration. “You are a noble girl!” he exclaimed; and rising, paced the floor to and fro. “Oh!” he cried, “the mischief that simple neglect will do! It has been the ruin of thousands, and through it men have, in multitudes of instances, frustrated their own most cherished plans and purposes. Mr. Kemper schemed and toiled to provide for the old age of himself and wife, and that he might have wealth to bestow upon you, the darling of his heart; and now, through his own omission, it will pass to others, one or two of whom, I happen to know, are spendthrifts, who will probably speedily waste their shares in riotous living. It’s a thousand pities! If we could but bring proof of your formal adoption, making you his legal heir--” “There is none,” she sighed, “and perhaps they are very needy--those heirs--and may do better with this than you expect, Mr. Crosby. We will not blame poor dear father. How ungrateful it would be in me to do so after all that he and mother did for me--after all the love and care they bestowed on me for so many years! I had not the slightest claim on them, yet they clothed, fed, educated me--made my childhood and youth so bright and happy. Oh, never did poor little waif fall into hands so kind and tender!”