"Shall I really always stay with you?" "Yes, always." "And learn to be a great musician?" "Certainly, if you work very hard." "I _shall_ work very hard, then, to please you and----" he paused and sobbed violently. "And whom, Giovanni?" "And mother. She will know, will she not?" But Dalziel gave no answer. The same night Dalziel had another fit of musing. It followed a lengthened perusal of the papers he had brought away with him from the chamber of death. One paper, however, was missing. He had left it behind the night before and could obtain no trace of it. The landlord denied having entered the room overnight with a pass-key, but Dalziel did not believe him, though strangely enough he instituted no inquiry regarding the missing document. "It is as well," he said to himself; "it is as well it should go. Nothing can come of it, and when the boy is of age justice shall be done. Till then, things are best as they are." Then he took up the faded scrap of music and locked it into the secret drawer of his writing-desk, again muttering: "Nothing can come of it. It's quite meaningless to an outsider; no, nothing _can_ come of it. Arthur Dalziel, your position is secure; besides, you're his proper guardian in any case--his legal guardian." III. Lord Alison was dying. Society knew it, and was languidly interested in the fact. One fact, however, afforded it far greater interest and satisfaction. That fact was the succession to the title. Everyone said the heir was a lucky fellow; and if everyone was poorer than the heir would be, he uttered the words enviously. If, however, he had greater possessions, he affected to be condescendingly glad at the luck of the lucky fellow in question. [Illustration: "SO FORTUNATE, YOU KNOW."] "So fortunate, you know, my dear," said the afternoon tea consumers; "Arthur Dalziel may propose at last with good hope of success. Lady Hester could never refuse; besides, her father would never permit her to." So they settled it in Society. But Society, though generally infallible in its deliverances on such nice points, had a few rude shocks in store for it in this instance.