"He will not dare--even he, so to outrage humanity and public opinion and everything he ought to respect." "My child, he will. He has set his heart upon making Nace Grimshaw his successor at Luckenough, that if you disappoint him in this darling purpose, there will be no limit to his rage and his revenge. And he will not only send us from his roof, but he will seek to justify himself and further ruin us by blackening our names. Your wildness and eccentricity will be turned against us and so distorted and misrepresented as to ruin us forever." "Mother! mother! he is not so wicked as that." "He is furious in his temper and violent in his impulses--he will do all that under the influence of disappointment and passion, however he may afterwards repent his injustice. You must not disappoint him, Jacquelina." "I disappoint him? Why, Mimmy, Luckenough does not belong to me. And if he wants Grim to be his successor, why, as I have heard aunty ask him, does he not make him his heir?" "There are reasons, I suspect, my dear, why he cannot do so. I think he holds the property by such a tenure, that he cannot alienate it from the family. And the only manner in which he can bestow it upon Dr. Grimshaw, will be through his wife, if the doctor should marry some relative." "That is it, hey? Well! I will not be made a sumpter-mule to carry this rich gift over to Dr. Grimshaw--even if there is no other way of conveyance. Mother! what is the reason the professor is such a favorite with uncle?" "My dear, I don't know, but I have often had my suspicions." "Of what, Mimmy?" "Of a very near, though unacknowledged relationship; don't question me any further upon that particular point, my dear, for I really know nothing whatever about it. Oh, dear." And the invalid groaned and turned over. "Mother, you are very weak; mother, please to take some tea; let me go get you some hot." "Tell me, Jacquelina; will you do as the old man wishes you?" "I will tell you after you take some refreshments," said Jacquelina. "Well! go bring me some." The girl went and brought more hot tea and toast, and waited until her mother had drunk the former and partaken of a morsel of the latter. When, in answer to the eager, inquiring look, she said: "Mother, if I alone were concerned, I would leave this house this moment, though I should never have another roof over my head. But for your sake, mother, I will still fight the battle. I will try to turn uncle from his purpose. I will try to awaken Grim's generosity, if he has any, and get him to withdraw his suit. I will get aunty to use her influence with both of them, and see what can be done. But as for marrying Dr. Grimshaw, mother--I know what I am saying--I would rather die!" "And see me die, my child?" "Oh, mother! it will not be so bad as that." "Jacquelina, it will. Do you know what is the meaning of these afternoon fevers and night sweats and this cough?"