Stormont, myself, and the family lawyer were the only persons
assembled in the spacious room, which had a dreary look without the
chief of the household.

The will had been made a few months after Mr. Darrell's second
marriage. It was very simple in its wording. To Julian Stormont he
left a sum of five thousand pounds, to be paid out his funded
property; all the rest of this property, with the sum to be realised
by the sale of the business at North Shields and its belongings--an
amount likely to be very large--was to be divided equally between
Mrs. Darrell and her stepdaughter. Thornleigh Manor was left to Mrs.
Darrell for her life, but was to revert to Milly, or Milly's heirs,
at her death; and Milly was to be entitled to occupy her old home
until her marriage.

In the event of Milly's dying unmarried, her share of the funded
property was to be divided equally between Mrs. Darrell and Julian
Stormont, and in this case the Thornleigh estate was to revert to
Julian Stormont after the death of Mrs. Darrell. The executors to
the will were Mr. Foreman the lawyer and Mrs. Darrell.

Milly's position was now one of complete independence. Mr. Foreman
told her that after the sale of the iron-works she would have an
income of something like four thousand a year. She had been of age
for more than six months, and there was no one to come between her
and perfect independence.

Knowing this, I felt that it was more than probable Mr. Egerton
would speedily return to renew his suit; and I had little doubt that
it would be successful. I knew how well Milly loved him; and now