Chichester once more burst into tears.
"It beats cock-fighting, that's all I can say," cried Alaric. "It
simply beats cock-fighting."
Mr. Hawkes went on reading: "'If at the expiration of one year my
niece is found to be, in the judgment of my executors, unworthy of
further interest, she is to be returned to her father and the sum of
two hundred and fifty pounds a year paid her to provide her with the
necessities of life. If, on the other hand, she proves herself
worthy of the best traditions of the Kingsnorth family, the course
of training is to be continued until she reaches the age of twenty-
one, when I hereby bequeath to her the sum of five thousand pounds a
year, to be paid to her annually out of my estate during her life-
time and to be continued after her death to any male issue she may
have--by marriage.'"
Mr. Hawkes stopped, and once again looked at the strange family.
Mrs. Chichester was sobbing: "And me--his own sister--"
Alaric was moving restlessly about: "Beats any thing I've heard of.
Positively anything."
Ethel was looking intently at "Pet's" coat.
Hawkes continued: "'On no account is her father to be permitted to
visit her, and should the course of training be continued after the
first year, she must not on any account visit her father.
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