“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. The moment of amusement gave a cheerfulness to her voice as she said—
“We have been doing sad injustice all this time; that is the worst of it. For the rest, we shall be no worse off than we were before.”
“It will be in Allen’s power to make up to you a good deal. That is a fortunate arrangement, but I am afraid it cannot take place till the girl is of age.”