"You'd better give me up for a bad job, Pym, and leave off worrying yourself," Mr. St. John said to him one day as they were strolling down the park together--for Mr. St. John liked to go out with the doctor when he had paid his visits. "I do you no credit." "It's because you _won't_ do it," gruffly retorted the surgeon. "I order you to a warm climate, and you won't go." "No; I won't. I am best here. Send me away to those hot places, and I should only die the sooner. Pym, dear old fellow"--and Mr. St. John put his hand into the surgeon's--"you are feeling this for me more than I feel it for myself. I have settled my business affairs; I have settled--I humbly hope--other affairs of greater moment; and I can wait my summons tranquilly." "Have you made your will?" asked Mr. Pym, after a pause, which seemed to be chiefly occupied in clearing his throat. "No end of weeks ago. The chief thing I had to settle was the guardianship of the children. Of Benja, I may say. George would have naturally fallen to his mother without a will." "And you have left him--Benja----?" "To my wife, just as I have the other. Mr. St. John, of Castle Wafer, and General Carleton, are the trustees. I thought of my wife's half-brother, Captain Darling, as one of them; but his regiment will probably be ordered abroad, and he may be away for years." They walked on a few steps further in silence, to the spot that Mr. St. John called his turning-place, for it was there he generally quitted the surgeon. As they were shaking hands, Mr. Pym retained his patient's fingers in his, and spoke. "Will you forgive an old man for his advice? He is double your age, and has had twenty times the experience. For acquiring good practical lessons of life, commend me to a doctor." "I'll take it," said Mr. St. John, "in anything except quitting Alnwick." "Don't leave Benja under your wife's charge." "Why not?" came the question, after a pause of surprise. "I have my reasons. For one thing, she is not very strong, and the charge of the two children, with you gone, might be found a heavy task." "I think that's nonsense, Pym," quietly replied Mr. St. John. "She has plenty of servants, and at a proper age Benja will go to school. George also. You must have some other reason." "True. But I am not sure that you would like me to mention it." "Mention what you will, Pym. Say anything." "Has it occurred to you that it is within the range of possibility your wife may marry again?" "My widow may. Yes." "Then, should this prove the case, and she formed new ties about her, Benja might find himself neglected. George is her own child, secure in her love, whatever betide; Benja is different. Have you provided in any way for the contingency I have mentioned?"