The hardest men have their weaknesses; and Mr.Michael Vanstone's weakness seems to have been an insurmountable horror of contemplating the event of his own death.

His son, his housekeeper, and his lawyer, had all three tried over and over again to get him to make a will; and had never shaken his obstinate resolution to put off performing the only business duty he was ever known to neglect.

Two doctors attended him in his last illness; warned him that he was too old a man to hope to get over it; and warned him in vain.

He announced his own positive determination not to die.

His last words in this world (as I succeeded in discovering from the nurse who assisted Mrs.Lecount) were: "I'm getting better every minute; send for the fly directly and take me out for a drive." The same night Death proved to be the more obstinate of the two; and left his son (and only child) to take the property in due course of law.