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glorious Greek university--and himself; but not a cent will he get, if she dies first. It's the same way with the hangers-on and favorites of each of the others.

    "Quite a situation for everybody, when you think of it. Each brother or sister has a little group whose whole fortune depends on him or her living longest--and the others dying first. I say, it's a situation in which you wouldn't be amazed if somebody got the feeling that Providence might not kill them off in quite the right order and so he ought to take a hand in the demises himself."

    "I hadn't thought of it," confessed Melicent, staring, "in quite that way."

    "The possibility of such assistance to Providence has occurred, I am quite sure," said Granger, "to our estimable employer. For whom, by the way, I must be continuing the rounds now. Meet me here again."

    "Gladly," agreed Melicent, and returned to the house.

    At eleven a car drove to the house and Everitt Cornwall arrived. Melicent was with Miss Cornwall when the butler let him into the hall. He joined them at once and held out both his hands to his sister.

    "By George! This is nice. Haven't seen you in a long time. You don't look a day older." He was older than his sister but, as Granger had said, Everitt Cornwall clearly had more of the humanities in his character. His eyes were blue and twinkled; his mustache was white but it twitched, frequently--an effect caused by a quick smile beneath it.

    His sister was not smiling; indeed, Melicent could sense a stiffening in Miss Cornwall; and she guessed that, in mentioning age, Everitt Cornwall had tread rudely upon a sacred taboo.

    "You look very well yourself, Everitt, and you are not a bit more serious than you used to be. This is my new secretary, Miss Waring."

    He took Melicent's hand. "I am delighted to meet you. My sister must have interviewed thousands of secretaries before she chose you."

    Melicent shook her head and smiled in return. "I was just the first to apply."

    "An early bird, eh?--admirable virtue." He turned to his sister. "I say, it's gloomier here--except for this young lady's presence--even than I remembered. Never could see why you cling to this place. As far as I'm concerned, Connecticut is all waste land. Might as well live at the north pole. Never did think much of the temperate zone, anyway. Dull name for it."

    He sat down in a chair and continued his staccato speech. Melicent liked him and wanted to stay, but she expected to be sent away. She looked at Miss Cornwall to see a signal; but Miss Cornwall apparently preferred that, for the present at least, Melicent remain.

    "Tell me all the scandal, Hannah. I gathered from your letter that poor Daniel was very unwise to visit Dutch Guiana; but that was his idea. He was a dour bird, anyway. Always was sure that the tropics were the place to live--if you could just dodge the diseases; so he'd stay there and spend his time and money dodging. Always had a trench system full of scientists keeping the whang-poo fever or something or other at a distance from him. Well, what is, is. I suppose we're all getting pretty old. How's Alice and her family? What's Theodore doing with himself and do you ever hear from Lydia?"

    Melicent perceived plainly that it was painful for Miss Cornwall to listen to this bright and airy talk. She was sure that Miss Cornwall conceived it her duty to apprise her brother of the contents of the letter from Dutch Guiana and that probably she would do this as soon as she was alone with him. But, for the present, Miss Cornwall put off this duty; that was why she allowed Melicent to remain; and soon, instead of dismissing Melicent, she excused herself and left her brother with her secretary.

    Everitt immediately resumed his seat after his sister was gone and began to talk about her. "Hannah's--like the rest of the family--fretful, peevish, overcautious with herself. It's the Governor's fault--the way he left his pile to the one of us who'll live the longest.