"No-o," responded Mrs. Belswin, doubtfully; "I'm tired after my journey, so I'll have my dinner here. Afterwards I will ask for an interview with Sir Rupert, so you and your papa can dine _tête-à-tête_." "No, I'm sure we can't," said Kaituna, in rather a tone of relief; "Mr. Dombrain is here." Mrs. Belswin faced round rapidly. "Dombrain!" she echoed aghast. "Your father's solicitor." "Yes." "Now what does he want here, I wonder?" muttered Mrs. Belswin, more to herself than to her auditor. "He came down to make papa's will, I think," said Kaituna. "His will!" echoed Mrs. Belswin, struck with a sudden thought. "Kaituna, if your father dies, will he leave you well off?" "Oh, I don't want papa to die." "No, no! of course not," said her companion impatiently; "but one never knows what might happen. But suppose he did die, you would be an heiress no doubt." Kaituna shook her head. "I don't think so," she replied, slowly. "You see, Thornstream is entailed on the male side, and none of it comes to me." "But your father was well enough off in New Zealand." "Why, how do you know that?" "I don't know, dear," answered Mrs. Belswin hurriedly, seeing she had made a slip; "I only presume so." "He used to be well off, but he lost a lot of money lately, and this time when he went out he sold all his property." "Oh!" said Mrs. Belswin, drawing a long breath of relief, "then he will have a large sum of money in hand." "No, indeed! He has put it all into silver mining shares in Melbourne." "The fool!" muttered Mrs. Belswin, below her breath, "to risk his all in such security." "So you see, dear Mrs. Belswin," said Kaituna, pursuing her own train of thought, "that if Archie wants to marry me for my money, I shall not have any." Mrs. Belswin caught the girl in her arms and kissed her with rare tenderness. "My dear," she said kindly, smoothing the dark hair, "Archie loves you for yourself, not for your money. Now go downstairs, dear, and excuse me to your father." "And you will see him to-night about Archie?" Mrs. Belswin gasped in a somewhat hysterical manner, and caught at the mantelpiece for support, as she repeated the words. "I will see him to-night--about--about--Archie." Kaituna was satisfied and departed, but when the door was closed after her, Mrs. Belswin rushed madly across the room, and, flinging herself on her knees before the door, burst out into a terrible fit of crying. "Oh, my dear! my dear!" she wailed, in a low moaning manner, "what can I do? what can I do? If your father dies you will be left penniless; if he lives I shall have to leave you forever--for ever, my dear--and go away into the outer darkness. Oh, God! God! is there nothing I can do?" She looked up at the painted ceiling, as if expecting an answer, but none came; so, rising wearily to her feet, she locked the door, and dragged herself slowly towards the mirror.