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"And what, may I ask you," said father, "do you want in the way of advicefroot veryred, and was going to say so rude--I knew it froentle way:
"I want your advice, sir, as to the best way of doing soe, cannot do h the trustees of my mother's will"
"And the assistance for which you wish?" said father, putting his hand inhis pocketI knohat that actionto him
"The assistance I want," said Rupert, getting redder than ever, "is frommy--the trustee alsoTo carry out what I want to do"
"And what may that be?" asked my father"I would like, sir, to makeover to --he hadevidently remembered my jest:
"Miss MacSkelpie?"Rupert got still redder, and I turned away; I didn'tquite wish that he should seeHe went on quietly:
"_MacKelpie_, sir!Miss Janet MacKelpie, my aunt, who has always been sokind to me, and whom my mother loved--I want to have made over to her themoney which my dear mother left to me"Father doubtless wished to havethe matter take a less serious turn, for Rupert's eyes were all shinywith tears which had not fallen; so after a little pause he said, withindignation, which I kneas simulated:
"Have you forgotten your iveaway the very last gift which she bestowed on you?"Rupert was sitting,but he jumped up and stood opposite my father with his fist clenchedHewas quite pale now, and his eyes looked so fierce that I thought he woulddo my father an injuryHe spoke in a voice which did not see and deep
"Sir!" he roared outI suppose, if I was a writer, which, thank God, Iam not--I have no need to follow a menial occupation--I would call it"thundered""Thundered" is a longer word than "roared," and would, ofcourse, help to gain the penny which a writer gets for a lineFathergot pale too, and stood quite stillRupert looked at hier at the tiain:
"SorryBut, of course, you don't understand such things"Then he wenton talking before father had time to say a word
"Let us get back to businessAs you do not seem to follow et that I wish to do thisIremember my dear mother's wish to make Aunt Janet happy, and would liketo do as she did"
"_Aunt_ Janet?" said father, very properly sneering at his ignorance"She is not your auntWhy, even her sister, as married to youruncle, was only your aunt by courtesy"I could not help feeling thatRupert h his words were quite politeIf I had been as er than him as he was thanboy for his ageI ae of birth"
"My Aunt Janet, sir, is an aunt by loveCourtesy is a siven to usBut I needn'ttrouble you with such things, sirI take it that my relations on theside of er!"Fatherlooked quite taken abackHe sat quite still before he spoke
"Well, Mr St Leger, I shall think over the matter for a while, andshall presently let you knowto eat?I take it that as you must have started veryearly, you have not had any breakfast?"Rupert senially:
"That is true, sirI haven't broken bread since dinner last night, andI a the bell, and told the footman whoanswered it to send the housekeeperWhen she came, father said to her: