'Yes,' she said, 'she had thought this was a blank sheet, and she put the blank sheet in the envelope of "directions," and sealed it up, by mistake. Neville, Neville, Phil, it's it!'
Neville was trembling so, he could scarcely stand.
'What shall we do?' he said. 'I can't bear to risk any more disappointment for aunty. If we could look ourselves, first, but we can't. Suppose it isn't there after all—or suppose it doesn't leave things as they think. She may have changed—Mrs. Wynne, I mean.'
'No,' said Kathleen, 'I'm not afraid of the will if it's there. Mrs. Wynne told aunty almost the last thing that it would be all right. But she may have changed the place of keeping it—though it's not likely. I'll tell you what, Neville—I'll ask aunty if she has ever looked in that plate-chest, and see what she says.'
'Yes,' said Neville, who was recovering his composure by now. 'We might do that. It would make it less of a disappointment if it weren't there.'
'Oh,' said Kathie, 'we could get her to show us the plate-chest even without that. Yes—that will be best. I'm sure I can manage it.'
'But then,' said Neville, 'we'd have to tell her about this paper all the same. We couldn't conceal it.'
'No; but don't you see that there would be no disappointment about it. She would know at once that it wasn't there before she could hope or wonder about it. I don't think she could bear any more "hoping," Neville.'
'No,' he agreed, 'I don't think she could.'
And he felt both pleased and surprised at Kathie's womanly thoughtfulness for her aunt.