“No! no more work to-night! No more work ever more for you. The long, long trial you have borne so patiently, so nobly, is over. Elsie! dearest Elsie! fortune has come to us at last.” Elsie stared at her husband with a look so blank that you could not have told whether she had heard good or bad news—an instant, and then a sudden joy broke over her countenance, and she exclaimed, in a voice of wonder and gladness: “Fortune! You tell me so, Magnus, and it must be true.” “Yes, fortune—yet it has come to us through such solemn, not to say tragic, circumstances that our prosperity must be received with a chastened spirit. Listen, dearest Elsie—this evening, as I returned home, I called at the post office and found a letter from Reynolds, who used to do all my Uncle Hardcastle’s law business. By his letter I learned that about five weeks since my unhappy cousin, Lionel, who had just returned from making the tour of Europe with his ward, was instantly killed on Hutton’s Island by the accidental discharge of a pistol. My uncle never recovered from the shock of his death, and he sank gradually until about five days since, when he died, leaving me sole heir to all his property and executor of his will.” “Alas! Magnus, is it not a sad and grave thought, that no property which we do not make by our own toil ever comes to us except through the death or the misfortunes of others! Alas! Magnus, our prosperity should indeed be received with a very chastened spirit.” “Yes, sudden riches should be always received with fear and trembling; and when they come by sudden death—with awe!” Elsie looked down thoughtfully upon her clasped hands and then, after a little while, inquired: “Well, Magnus! what will be your first movement under these new circumstances?” “I shall proceed at once to Hemlock Hollow to settle up affairs, and prepare the old hall for the reception of you and the children. And by the time those arrangements are completed the weather will be sufficiently settled to remove them. The only point of difficulty is in the temporary disposition of my professional business. I scarcely know what to do with my patients. I wish Hugh would return and take charge of the practice for a few weeks during my absence, or until the people could get another physician to settle among them.” “It is quite time that we had heard from Hugh. But, dear Magnus, has this sudden news quite deprived you of your appetite?” said Elsie, rising and putting away her basket of work. “No—oh, no, dearest! Give me my supper.” Elsie’s nimble hands quickly laid the cloth, and spread the little supper. Magnus drew up his chair, and Elsie had just poured out his coffee when the quick gallop of a horse up to the house, followed by a loud knocking at the door, arrested their attention. Magnus went to answer the summons, and in another instant Hugh Hutton entered. “Why, Hugh!” exclaimed Dr. Hardcastle and his wife in one breath.