"I went to see Juliet," replied Cuthbert, not sorry that the
meeting had taken place, "but I hear she is out of town."

"Well, not exactly. The fact is, she and my mother have gone
down to Rose Cottage and intend to stop there until the
funeral is over and the will is read."

"The will?" echoed Mallow.

"Yes. Aunt Selina is likely to leave a great deal of money.
I expect it will all go to Juliet. She never liked me."

"Yet you were frequently at her house."

"I was," confessed Basil candidly. "I tried to make myself as
civil as possible, so that she might remember me. Between
ourselves, Mallow, I am deuced hard up. My mother hasn't much
money, I have none of my own, and old Octagon is as stingy as
he well can be."

This sounded well coming from an idler who never did a stroke
of work, and who lived on the charity of his step-father. But
Basil had peculiar views as to money. He considered himself a
genius, and that Peter should be proud to support him until,
as he phrased it, he had "stamped his name on the age"! But
the stamping took a long time, and Basil troubled himself very
little about the matter. He remarked that genius should not
be forced, and loafed away the greater portion of his days.
His mother kept him in pocket-money and clothes, Peter
supplied board and lodging, and Basil got through life very