"If more were wanted," Mr. Brion repeated, with growing solemnity of manner, "we have here a paper under your father's hand, and duly witnessed by the same persons who witnessed the will--where are you going, Paul?" For at this point Paul rose and walked quietly towards the door. "Go on," said the young man. "I will come back presently." "But where are you going?" his father repeated with irritation. "Can't you wait until this business is finished?" "I think," said Paul, "that the Miss Kings--the Miss Yelvertons, I suppose I ought to say--would rather be by themselves while you read that paper. It is not just like the will, you know; it is a private matter--not for outsiders to listen to." Elizabeth rose promptly and went towards him, laying her hand on his arm. "Do you think we consider _you_ an outsider?" she said, reproachfully. "You are one of us--you are in the place of our brother--we want you to help us now more than we have ever done. Come and sit down--that is, of course, if you can spare time for our affairs when you have so many important ones of your own." He went and sat down, taking the seat by Patty to which Elizabeth pointed him. Patty looked up at him wistfully, and then leaned her elbows on the table and put her face in her hands. Her lover laid his arm gently on the back of her chair. "Shall I begin, my dear?" asked the lawyer hesitatingly. "I am afraid it will be painful to you, Elizabeth. Perhaps, as Paul says, it would be better for you to read it by yourselves. I will leave it with you for a little while, if you promise faithfully to be very careful with it." But Elizabeth wished it to be read as the will was read, and the old man, vaguely suspecting that she might be illegally generous to the superseded representative of the Yelverton name and property, was glad to keep the paper in his own hands, and proceeded to recite its contents. "I, Kingscote Yelverton, calling myself John King, do hereby declare," &c.