Their father, with an old man's pride in a handsome only son, had left
the bulk of his fortune to Bertie, while Hannah, who had ministered to
his comfort and borne his ill-humor, inherited only a paltry couple of
hundred a year, with a fairly well furnished house in Wilton Street,
Hyde Park. Her brother would have willingly added to this pittance, but
she sternly refused to accept what did not of right belong to her.
Bertie went with his regiment to India, whence he returned a wiser, a
poorer, and a physically weaker man.
His sister, whose business instincts were much too strong to permit her
wrapping up such a "talent" as a freehold house in the napkin of
unfruitful occupation, looked round to see how she could best turn it to
account. Accident threw in her way a girl of large fortune with no
relations, whose guardians, thankful to find a respectable home for her,
readily agreed to pay Miss Payne handsomely for taking charge of the
orphan. Her first _protegee_ married well, under her auspices, and from
henceforth her house was rarely empty. Sometimes she accepted a roving
commission and travelled with her charge, meanwhile letting her house in
town, so making a double profit. It was on one of these expeditions that
she was introduced to Mrs.
Pages:
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238