Turns of Fortune, and Other Tales

man of business, was a plain little man, skilled in the turnings and windings of the

Alfred Bond had come over to England?" No; she had not heard it. It was, Mr. Cramp insinuated (for he never said anything directly)-it was r

e had never felt one pang of insecurity as to the possessions which had of late grown so deeply into her heart. At this unexpected intimation she felt the blood rush through her veins in a wild untameable manner. In all her tri

has been said is doubtless wrong-must be wrong; a threat of the opposite party-an undefined thre

" inquired Miss

s to meet it on equal terms, is to think every man a rogue. It is a deeply painful view to

mp's face was reduced to its original size, and she had collected her ideas. "There

ther documents are safe enough except Cornelius Bond Hobart's will-a will bequeathing the property to your u

psing in some degree into agitation; "it was produced

nour of being your father's legal adviser at that time. It was my master and subsequent par

all money transactions. The will, however, must be, I think, in Doctors' Commons! Go there immediat

usiness, whom I happened to know; and I was grieved-cut up, I may say, to the very heart's core, to hear what he said; and he examined the document very closely too-very closely; and, I assure you, spoke in the handsomest, I may say, the ver

state a simple matter. Have you

hav

e, unless Mr. Alfred Bond denies hi

not do. He says he never

he will," maint

wound you; but can

" said Sarah Bond sternly; "spe

art of his client, that

re do a gratuitous service to persons they had never seen? Where could be the reason-the motive? How is it, that, till now, Alfred Bond urged no claim. There are reasons," she continued, "reasons to give the world. But I have within me, what passes all reason-a feeling, a conviction, a true positive knowledge, that my father was incapable of being a party to such a crime. He was a stern man, loving money-I grant that-but honest in heart and soul. The only creature he ever wronged was

ld confess that such was the case; that it should be his business to disprove the charge; that he hoped she did not suppose he yielded to the plaintiff, who was resolved to bring the matter into a court of justice. He would only ask her one little question; had she ever seen her father counterfeit

him, she would to the last contest that right, not so much for her own sake, or the sake of one who was dear to her beyond all power of expression, but for the sake of him in whose place she stood, and whose honour she would preserve with her life. Mr. Cramp was a good, shrewd man of business. He considered all Miss Bond's energy, on the subject of her

alth does not belong to sixteen summers. Mabel knew and thought so little of its artificial influence, that she believed her happiness sprang from birds and flowers, from music, and dancing, and books-those silent but immortal tongues that live through centuries, for our advantage; besides, her young hea

er and her niece during the term of their natural lives; but this was indignantly spurned by Sarah; from him she would accept no favour; she either had or had not a right to the whole of the property originally left to her uncle. Various circumstances, too tedious to enumerate, combined to prove that the will deposited in Docto

s as follows:-Sarah Bond, be it remembered, had never seen the disputed will; she was very anxious to do so; and yet, afterwards, she did not like

red and seated herself without speaking. After a moment she unclasped her cloak, loose

it you? I am sure I am

sity. I have been to Doctors Commons; hav

. Cramp, drawing back on his chai

copy of the original will. But how the copy could have b

he lawyer, a little relieved; "co

rship as farmers. My father's habits were precise: he always copied every writing, and endorsed h

that increases. Somebody-I don't for an instant suppose Mr. Jacob Bond-in proving the will must have sworn th

f my uncle, who performed many strange acts before he w

riginal?" inquired

d it; but I am not the less

r plea of the truth of the

o, I shall rise up in court, and contradict you! I feel it my duty, having seen the wi

t all was in vain. She would go into court, she said, herself, if her counsel deserted her. She would not give up the cause; she would plead for the sake of her father

es-of the straight-forward, simple, and beautiful truthfulness of the defendant; in short, he moved the court to tears, and laid the foundation of his future fortune. But after that day, Sarah Bond and her niece, Mabel, were homeless and houseless. Yet I should not say that; for the gates of a jail gaped widely for the "mis