CHAPTER XX.
The meeting of Claire and Jasper, for the final settlement of Mr.
Elder's estate, was to take place at the office of Grind, at ten o'clock.

Before keeping his appointment, the former turned over in his mind, with careful deliberation, the circumstances which had just occurred; and the more he thought of it, the better satisfied was he that a fraud had been committed.

The author of that fraud could be no one else but the guardian of Fanny; of whose honesty Claire had, with good reason, no very high opinion.

His conclusion was, not to accept, at present, a settlement of the estate.
With an uneasy foreboding of evil--he was, in fact, rarely now without that feeling--Leonard Jasper took his way to the office of Grind.
Notwithstanding he had defied Martin, he yet feared him.

But he was so near to the point of comparative safety, that he hoped soon to be past all real danger from this quarter.