Her aunt was continually becoming more irritable and less sound of judgment, and there were times when Lucy feared that the warped mind would give way under the strain of repeated paroxysms of anger. Could Ellen have been persuaded to surrender the management of her affairs entirely into her niece's hands, she might have been spared much annoyance; but frail as she was, she persisted in retaining to the last her scepter of supremacy. She went each day into the garden and put Tony out of humor by finding fault with everything he did; having demoralized his temper, she would return to the house to rasp Lucy's patience by heaping upon the girl's blameless head such remnants of wrath as she still cherished toward the long-suffering Portugese. For sometime she had contented herself with this daily programme, not varying it by venturing away from the place, even to carry her garden truck to market. Therefore Lucy was astounded when one morning her aunt appeared at breakfast, dressed in her shabby black cashmere and wearing her cameo pin, and announced she was going to drive to town. "I've an errand to do," she said without preamble, "an' I shan't be home till noon. You needn't go falutin' over to the Howes', neither, the minute my back is turned, as you did the last time I went off." Lucy smiled good-humoredly. "I'm goin' to see a lawyer," her aunt went on. "Lawyer Benton." No reply appearing necessary, Lucy did not speak. "Well!" piped Ellen, after waiting a moment. "Well, what?" Lucy asked. "Ain't you got no interest in what I'm goin' for?" the woman demanded querulously. "I'm always interested in anything you wish to tell me," answered the girl, "but I thought it was not my place to inquire into your business." "It is my business, an' I can keep it to myself," said Ellen tartly. "But I'll tell you this much--I'm goin' to get my will made." The hard blue eyes fixed themselves on Lucy's face narrowly. "My will!" repeated Ellen, a challenge in her tone. "I s'pose you thought it was all made long ago; but it warn't. I'm goin' to make it to-day." At a loss how to reply, Lucy nodded. "You don't seem much concerned 'bout it," observed her aunt peevishly. "Ain't you curious to know who I'm goin' to leave my property to?" "No." "You ain't!" "No." "S'pose I was to give it all to you." "That would be very kind." "Yes, it would be--it would be kind," agreed Ellen. "But mebbe I ain't a-goin' to. Mebbe I'm goin' to will it to somebody else." "That's your affair." "I'll bet, for all your indifference, you'd be mad as a wet hen if I was to leave it to somebody else," went on the woman provokingly. "No, I shouldn't. Why should I?" "'Cause you're my next of kin. By rights it had oughter come to you, hadn't it?" "I don't know the New Hampshire laws." With an admiring glance at her niece, Ellen broke into an unpleasant laugh.