Julia said “Yes.”  But he did not feel there was much enthusiasm in the monosyllable, so he cast about in his mind for something to cheer her and thus remembered a very important matter.

“What an old fool I am!” he exclaimed.  “There’s something I ought to have told you the moment you came in, and I’ve clean forgotten it until now; it’s good news, too!  There is a lawyer wants to see you.”

“What about?” Julia asked; she did not seem to naturally associate a lawyer with good news.

“A legacy,” Johnny answered triumphantly.

Julia was much astonished; she could not imagine from whence it came, but before she asked she made the business-like inquiry, “How much?”

“Not a great deal, I’m afraid,” Mr. Gillat was obliged to say; “still, a little’s a help, you know; it may be a great help; you remember your father’s Aunt Jane?”

Julia did, or rather she remembered the name.  Great-aunt Jane was one of the relations the Polkingtons did not use; she was not rich enough or obliging enough to give any help, nor grand enough for conversational purposes.  She never figured in Mrs. Polkington’s talk except vaguely as “one of my husband’s people in Norfolk;” this when she was explaining that the Captain came of East Anglian stock on his mother’s side.  Jane was only a step-aunt to the Captain; his mother had married above her family, her half-sister Jane had married a little beneath—­a small farmer, in fact, whose farming had got smaller still before he died, which was long ago.  Great-aunt Jane could not have much to leave any one, but, as Mr. Gillat said, anything was better than nothing; the real surprise was why it should have been left to Julia.

She asked Johnny about it, but he could not tell her much; he really knew very little except that there was something, and that the lawyer wanted her address and was annoyed when her relations could not give it.  Indeed, even went so far as to think they would not, and that it would be his duty to take steps unless she was forthcoming soon.

“I had better go to his office to-morrow,” Julia said; “I suppose you know where it is?”

Mr. Gillat did, and they arranged how they would go to-morrow, Johnny, who was to wait outside, solely for the pleasure and excitement of the expedition.  After that they talked about the legacy and its probable amount for some time.

“I suppose no other benefactor came inquiring for me while I was away?” Julia said, after she had, to please Johnny and not her practical self, built several air castles with the legacy.

“No,” Mr. Gillat said regretfully, “I’m afraid not; no one else asked for you.  At least, some one did; a Mr. Rawson-Clew came here for your address.”

“Did he though?” Julia asked; “Did he, indeed?  What did he want it for?”

“Well, I don’t know,” Johnny was obliged to say; “I don’t know that he gave any reason exactly; he said he had met you in Holland.  I thought he was a friend of yours, he seemed to know a good deal about you.”