“You are a darling,” she said to Elwell, when, after a few days of bliss to her and misery for him, they started for home. “You are a darling, and I am awfully obliged to you for finding me so good a friend.” Elwell mumbled something about being amply repaid. “Of course you are,” replied the fair Fanny. “And there! I will give you a kiss for being such a good boy, and another one for the good friend you got for me, and another one because she has promised to come over and see us married.” And she went gayly off, leaving Elwell stunned by this information. CHAPTER XIX. A CHANGE OF BASE. And so James and Norine Darling became wealthy beyond their utmost expectations, and James and Norine Bright passed out of existence forever. There was no chance of their becoming spoiled by their sudden and unexpected good fortune; they were both too unaffectedly good for that. And then they had the steady, clear brain and good counsel of Doctor Conway to help them; and with that and the kindly advice of the shrewd New York lawyer they passed through the ordeal in very creditable shape. It required some discussion before Norine could be induced to discard her husband’s name. “Why should my aunt desire me to do this?” she asked. “If Jim resumes the old name, and they know I am his sister, they will know, of course, that I am a Darling. So why should I not retain my own name and Clinton’s?” Doctor Conway made no attempt to answer all this. He simply said: “Your aunt wished it, and you should comply with her wishes if you accept her gift. Little Clinton can always retain his father’s name, and I see no reason why you should refuse.” He said nothing of the permission her aunt had given that she might adopt his name if she wished to; he was too generous for that and too hopeless. “I suppose you are right,” said Norine, with a little wistful sigh. “But it seems cruel in me to give up his name; it looks as if I were ashamed of him, when I am not, and then it is cowardly of me to do so. I think I should always keep his name for little Clinton’s sake.” “But you need not change the child’s name,” replied Conway quietly; “and she has left you everything she had, relying on you to gratify her last wishes in this matter. She did not command it, and it can make no difference in your future. Think what she has enabled you to do for little Clinton! You can educate him in any way you choose now. It is but a small repayment that you can make for her generosity. And who knows? perhaps she will sleep the better for it.” There was nothing more said about it at the time; but Norine wrote him a little note the next day, and signed it “Norine Darling,” and the doctor evidently thought the signature highly appropriate, for he laid the note away among his few cherished treasures.