At last the will was opened, and after the usual preamble, the lawyer's
voice seemed to break a little. He cleared his throat, and continued in
a lower tone----

"As I have come to the conclusion that the minds of men and women are
radically the same, and as I believe that if the latter are trained in
the same way as the former they will be equally capable of making
their own way in the world, I have acted upon this principle in the
education of my two beloved nieces, Jane and Alice Melville, the only
surviving children of my sister Mary Hogarth; and as I foresee that if
I were to leave them wealthy heiresses my purpose would be completely
thwarted, by Jane losing her independent character, and Alice sinking
into a confirmed invalid, and by both being to a dead certainty picked
up by needy spendthrifts, who will waste their fortunes and break their
hearts, as their father, George Melville, served my poor foolish
sister, I hereby convey and dispone all my property, whatsoever and
wheresoever, heritable and moveable, to Francis Ormistown, otherwise
Hogarth, at present head clerk in the Bank of Scotland, who is my son
by a private irregular marriage contracted with Elizabeth Ormistown, on
the ninth day of July, 18--, and who is my heir-at-law, though he would
find it difficult to prove his claim, as he knows nothing of the
relation between us, and as the only party besides myself
cognizant of the marriage dares not come forward to prove it, but whose
progress I have watched with interest, who has made an honourable
position for himself, without any assistance from me beyond a good
education, who has served faithfully, and who is likely to rule
uprightly, who has raised himself from nameless poverty, and whom,
therefore, I judge to be worthy of wealth and honour: Provided always,
that he shall pay to Jane and Alice Melville, my beloved nieces