it, and, spreading it open, began to read:—
"I, Henry Oakley, being of sound mind," etc.
She had read so far, when a heavy hand was laid upon her shoulder. Turning with a start, she saw her husband, his face dark with anger, looking sternly at her.
"Give me that document, Mrs. Oakley," he said, abruptly.
She did not dare do otherwise than obey.
"By what right do you come here to pry into my private papers?" he demanded.
"I am your wife," she said.
"That is true. You are my wife; but that does not authorize your stealing in here like a thief, and secretly examining papers, which would have been shown you if they had been intended for your eyes."
"Does not that paper relate to me?" she asked, boldly.
"It relates to my property."
"It is your will."
"Yes."
"And it makes the one which I hold of no value."
"It does."
"So you are secretly plotting against my interests," she said, angrily. "I suspected as much, and I determined to find out."
"The will of which you speak never ought to have been made. It disinherits my son, and places him in your power."
"Could you not trust me to provide for him?" asked Mrs. Oakley.
"I fear not," said her husband. And her eyes fell before his steady glance. She felt that she was better understood than she had supposed.
"So you have placed me in John's power," she said, bitterly.
"I have done nothing of the kind."
"Have you not left the property to him?"
"You well know that you are entitled by law to one-third of my estate."
"One-third!"
"Yes."
"And he is to have two-thirds?"
"Why should he not? If I had not married a second time he would have had the whole."
"And my son Ben is left unprovided for?" questioned Mrs. Oakley, in a tone of mingled anger and disappointment.
"Ben has no claim upon me."
"Poor boy! so he will be penniless."
"You appear to forget that your share of the property will amount to twenty thousand dollars. He need not suffer, unless his mother should refuse to provide for him."
But this did not suit Mrs. Oakley's views. She was not at all reconciled to the thought that John Oakley, whom she disliked, would inherit forty thousand dollars, while she and Ben must live on half that sum. She was fond of money and the position it would bring, and although twenty thousand dollars would once have seemed to her a great fortune, her desires had increased with her prosperity, and she now thought it a hardship that she should be limited to such a trifle. She was by no means reconciled to the thought that Ben must play second fiddle to his rich stepbrother. Still John was young, and if she were his guardian that would be something. So she smoothed her face and said:—
"I suppose you have appointed me John's guardian?"
Squire Oakley shook his head.
"I have appointed Mr. Selwyn to that position. It is more fitting that a lawyer should have the care of property," he said.
There was another reason which he did not mention. He thought that John's interests would be safer in Mr. Selwyn's hands than in those of his wife.
"This is an insult to me," said Mrs. Oakley, angry and disappointed. "It will be declaring to the world that you have no confidence in me."
"Nothing of the kind. Even were you his real mother, there would be nothing strange in my leaving him to the guardianship of another."
But Mrs. Oakley looked angry, and for days afterwards wore an offended and injured look. She appeared to forget from what poverty and dependence Squire Oakley had delivered her, and how many favors he had lavished upon Ben, who had no claim upon him save in his relationship to her.
Three days afterwards, Squire Oakley asked his wife for the will which she had had in her possession for nearly three years.
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