"Ask him to come up. It will be a terrible blow to him. This place
has been as much to him as to any of us, if not more."
"Mother, how brave you are!" cried Jock.
"I have known it longer than you have, my dear. Besides, the mere
loss is nothing compared with that which led to it. The worst of it
is the overthrow of all your prospects, my dear fellow."
"Oh," said Jock, brightly, "it only means that we have something and
somebody to work for now;" and he threw his arms round her waist and
kissed her.
"Oh! my dear, dear boy, don't! Don't upset me, or your uncle will
think it is about this."
"And don't, for Heaven's sake, talk as if it were all up with us,"
cried Bobus.
By this time the Colonel's ponderous tread was near, and Caroline met
him with an apology for giving him the trouble of the ascent, but
said that she had wanted to see him in private.
"Is this in private?" asked the Colonel, looking at the five young
people.
"Yes. They have a right to know all. Here it is, Robert."
He sat down, deliberately put on his spectacles, took the will, read
it once, and groaned, read it twice, and groaned more deeply, and
then said—-
"My poor dear sister! This is a bad business! a severe reverse! a
very severe reverse!"
"He has hit on his catch-word," thought Caroline, and Jock's arm
still round her gave a little pressure, as if the thought had
occurred to him.
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