“I am sensible of your kindness, Mr. Pendril, in wishing to spare me pain.  But I can bear pain; I promise to distress nobody.  Will you excuse me if I repeat my request?”

She held out her hand—­the soft, white, virgin hand that had touched nothing to soil it or harden it yet.

“Oh, Magdalen, think again!” said Norah.

“You distress Mr. Pendril,” added Miss Garth; “you distress us all.”

“There can be no end gained,” pleaded the lawyer—­“forgive me for saying so—­there can really be no useful end gained by my showing you the instructions.”

("Fools!” said Mr. Clare to himself.  “Have they no eyes to see that she means to have her own way?”)

“Something tells me there is an end to be gained,” persisted Magdalen.  “This decision is a very serious one.  It is more serious to me—­” She looked round at Mr. Clare, who sat closely watching her, and instantly looked back again, with the first outward betrayal of emotion which had escaped her yet.  “It is even more serious to me,” she resumed, “for private reasons—­than it is to my sister.  I know nothing yet but that our father’s brother has taken our fortunes from us.  He must have some motives of his own for such conduct as that.  It is not fair to him, or fair to us, to keep those motives concealed.  He has deliberately robbed Norah, and robbed me; and I think we have a right, if we wish it, to know why?”

“I don’t wish it,” said Norah.

“I do,” said Magdalen; and once more she held out her hand.

At this point Mr. Clare roused himself and interfered for the first time.

“You have relieved your conscience,” he said, addressing the lawyer.  “Give her the right she claims.  It is her right—­if she will have it.”

Mr. Pendril quietly took the written instructions from his pocket.  “I have warned you,” he said—­and handed the papers across the table without another word.  One of the pages of writing—­was folded down at the corner; and at that folded page the manuscript opened, when Magdalen first turned the leaves.  “Is this the place which refers to my sister and myself?” she inquired.  Mr. Pendril bowed; and Magdalen smoothed out the manuscript before her on the table.

“Will you decide, Norah?” she asked, turning to her sister.  “Shall I read this aloud, or shall I read it to myself?”

“To yourself,” said Miss Garth; answering for Norah, who looked at her in mute perplexity and distress.

“It shall be as you wish,” said Magdalen.  With that reply, she turned again to the manuscript and read these lines: 

“....  You are now in possession of my wishes in relation to the property in money, and to the sale of the furniture, carriages, horses, and so forth.  The last point left on which it is necessary for me to instruct you refers to the persons inhabiting the house, and to certain preposterous claims on their behalf set up by a solicitor named Pendril; who has, no doubt, interested reasons of his own for making application to me.