At ten o’clock Mr. Mavick came, and was shown into the library, where Carmen awaited him.

“It was very good of you to come,” she said, as she advanced to meet him and gave him her hand in the natural subdued manner that the circumstances called for.

“I took the first train after I received your despatch.”

“I am sorry to inconvenience you so,” she said, after they were seated, “but you know so much of Mr. Henderson’s affairs that your advice will be needed.  His will is to be proved tomorrow.”

“Yes?” said Mavick.

“I went to see—­Mr. Sage today, and he went with me to the office.  The will was in the safe.  I did not read it, but Mr. Sage said that it left everything to me except a few legacies.”

“Yes?”

“He said it should be proved tomorrow, unless a later will turned up.”

“Was there a later will?”

“That is what he did not know.  He had drawn a new will about a year ago, but he doubted if it had ever been executed.  Mr. Henderson was considering it.  He thought he had a memorandum of it somewhere, but he remembered the principal features of it.”

“Was it a great change from the first?” Mavick asked.

“Yes, considerable.  In fact, the greater part of his property, as far as I could make out, was to go to endow a vast training-school, library, and reading-room on the East Side.  Of course that would be a fine thing.”

“Of course,” said Mavick.  “And no such will has been found?”

“I’ve looked everywhere,” replied Carmen, simply; “all over the house.  It should be in that desk if anywhere.  We can look again, but I feel pretty sure there is no such document there.”

She took in her hand the bunch of keys that lay on the table, as if she were about to rise and unlock the desk.  Then she hesitated, and looked Mavick full in the face.

“Do you think, Mr. Mavick, that will was ever executed?”

For a moment they looked steadily at each other, and then he said, deliberately, their eyes squarely meeting, “I do not think it was.”  And in a moment he added, “He never said anything to me about such a disposition of his property.”

Two things were evident to Carmen from this reply.  He saw her interests as she saw them, and it was pretty certain that the contents of the will were not made known to him when he witnessed it.  She experienced an immense feeling of relief as she arose and unlocked the desk.  They sat down before it together, and went over its contents.  Mavick made a note of the fresh business memoranda that might be of service next day, since Mrs. Henderson had requested him to attend the proving of the will, and to continue for the present the business relations with her that he had held with Mr. Henderson.

It was late when he left the house, but he took with him a note to Mr. Sage to drop into the box for morning delivery.  The note said that she had searched the house, that no second will existed there, and that she had telegraphed to Mr. Mavick, who had much knowledge of Mr. Henderson’s affairs, to meet him in the morning.  And she read the note to Mavick before she sealed it.