32 TURNS OF FORTUNE.

nesses—not a few—she had never fainted, never
fallen into that symptom of weak-mindedness,
a fit of hysterics ; but now she sat without power
of speech, looking at Mr. Cramp’s round face.

‘‘ My dear Miss Bond, you are not ill, I hope?”
exclaimed Mr. Cramp. “I pray you to bear up;
what has been said is doubtless wrong—must
be wrong; a threat of the opposite party—an
undefined threat, which we must prepare our-
selves to meet in a lawyer-like way. Hope for
the best, and prepare ”——_ .

“For what, sir?” inquired Miss Bond, gasp-
ingly.

“« For any—anything—that is my plan. Un-
fortunately, the only way to deal with the world,
SO as to meet it on equal terms, is to think every
man arogue. It is a deeply painful view to
take of human nature, and it agonizes me to
do so. Let me, however, entreat you to bear
u 29

ve Against what, sir?” said Sarah Bond abrupt-
ly, and almost fiercely, for now Mr. Cramp’s
face was reduced to its original size, and she
had collected her ideas. “ There are few things
I could not bear up against, but I must know
what I have to sustain.”

* Your father’s will, my dear lady, is safe ;
the document, leaving everything to you, that
is safe, and all other documents are safe enough
except Cornelius Bond Hobart’s will will
bequeathing the property to your uncle. here