my father's affection for Marie, and not for any pecuniary value it was ever presumed to have."
"Nevertheless," returned the lawyer, "even as such testimonial it was worth placing upon record; and if you will pardon the officiousness, I would advise that it be done yet."
"If I thought it could be of advantage to Marie———" she commenced.
"I do not know that it would," Mr. Beman interposed; "but my experience as a lawyer has taught me the wisdom of allowing no paper, which on its face conveys a right, to remain imperfect for want of legal authentication."
"I am sure, mother," said Marie, "the gentlemen of the law understand these things better than we can."
"Of course," the widow said; "and I have often thought that something ought to have been done in the affair, out of respect for your grandfather's memory, if for no other reason."
"If you will allow me to do you this service, then," said Mr. Breman, "I will undertake to make the probate immediately."
By her mother's direction, Marie brought the will and gave it to Mr. Beman, who opened and perused it carefully from beginning to end. After ascertaining that it was all in due form, and learning that the subscribing witnesses, one of whom was the elder Le Vert, were still resident in Kaskaskia, he placed the paper in his pocket and resumed the conversation.
"I met this M. Le Vert a while ago," he said, "and shall have occasion to call on him again to-morrow, if, indeed, the communication I made to him do not bring him to me first; so there need be no delay."
"The communication must have been a very important one," said Marie with a smile, "if its effect is likely to be the unbending of his dignity so far."
"It was rather so," said the lawyer drily; and the conversation flowed in another channel.
Two or three hours passed pleasantly away. Mr. Beman was a man of varied observation, keen humor, and a kindness of heart, which had survived the assaults of years, and the hard experiences of
