Dalton's visit, and his own kind heart suggested that he should not be in the way to meet him, but should suffer the incensed father's first burst of indignant rage to expend itself before it could result in any act detrimental to his daughter's interests. But a few moments' meditation sent Mr. Scribewell back to his used chaise to the inn.

office, and the unHe was too well

acquainted with the Dalton irascibility—as who in the parish was not-to hope that any small manœuvres or temporary delays could suffice to calm the chafed tiger in the first burst of his rage; he thought it much more likely that in the event of his absence whether accidental or designed, Mr. Dalton should at once hasten to another lawyer; and partly in the hope-a very faint one--of softening the angry father, and partly on the ground that what must inevitably be done, might as well accrue to his advantage as to that of another person-the plea on which so many fashionable physicians inundate their ner

vous patients with expensive bottles of innocent coloured water. Mr. Scribewell seated himself in his private room to await his client's arrival.

He had not to wait long. Mr. Dalton had given his wrath no time to cool. In as short a space of time as need to be, from the moment of ordering his horses, he arrived at his lawyer's door, leaped to the pavement, threw the reins to his groom, and, without suffering the clerks to announce him a most unusual proceeding on his part—he walked through the outer office and tapped at the door within. It was opened instantly, and in a shorter space of time than we have taken to record the circumstance, the angry father and astute lawyer were seated over a little table on which was placed a tin box, the contents of which Mr. Scribewell was hastily turning over.

For no time had been lost; Mr. Dalton's acknowledgment of his lawyer's salutation ran thus

"Good morning, Mr. Scribewell. I must trouble you instantly for the copy of my will which is in your possession : the will itself I have already destroyed."

"Dear me, dear me!" thought Mr. Scribewell, as a little excited and with hands rather tremulous, (for he was a kind-hearted man and had children of his

own) he turned over the papers in the aforesaid tin box, and drew forth one quickly enough, but not so quickly as Mr. Dalton's flashing eye seemed to expect, endorsed :

"Attested Copy of the Will of Frederick Dalton, Esquire; of Beechwood Manor, made and drawn out by me, Matthew Scribewell, Attorney at Law, on the 23rd day of this present February, in the year of our Lord 182-."

"That is it, that is it," exclaimed Mr. Dalton, hastily seizing the parchment, and tearing off the bands of red tape with

which it was enwreathed, "in this will, Mr. Scribewell;" indexing it with the first finger of his right hand whilst he held the parchment itself in the left-" in this will I bequeath to my daughter Emily all my property of every description-my landed property, my funded property, my furniture, plate, jewels, pictures, books-"

'You did, sir; I made the will," chimed in the lawyer sotto voce, seeing his patron paused, but whether the evident stoppage of breath was caused by revulsion of feeling or by rapidity of utterance the lawyer could not determine.

"Burthened only by a few legacies of trifling amount to the old servants of the family."

"It is so, sir."

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My business with you now, Mr. Scribewell, is imperative. I wish you now, without an hour's delay, to frame another will precisely such as this; save that, in lieu of Emily Dalton's name, you place throughout

that of Josiah Brooke, my second cousin, and, as I believe, my next of kin."

Mr. Scribewell sat mute: he felt grieved, much grieved, and he looked so.

"You comprehend me, sir," said Mr. Dalton, with some hauteur.

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"I comprehend you, sir, perfectly; but pardon me, sir, if I take the liberty to beg that you will consider

'My daughter should have considered, sir, before she took a base-born beggar to her husband in opposition to her father's commands."

"Miss Emily is young, sir, very young, and

"Young," reiterated Mr. Dalton, passionately, "she has proved herself old enough to choose her own course in life, and by Heaven, she shall walk in the path she has chosen."

Excited, not cowed, by the mad rage of his client, the lawyer ventured to speak more openly than heretofore.