Cynthia Wakeham's Money

g in his wake the woman who had brought him the message which first took him to Miss Cavanagh's house. She was panting with the haste she had made, and e

anting to talk to you, and if you would be so good as to let me say what is on my m

may have to tell me," was his natural resp

ugh the neighboring window-blinds, "though I have my troubles, of course, as who hasn't in this hard, rou

put, yet it mad

lawyer," h

erpret them. "Mr. Hamilton is a very good man but he is not of much use, sir; but you look different, as if you could influence th

hey do

ione keeps to the house and grows white and thin, studying and reading, and making herself wise-for what? No one comes to see them-that is, not often, sir, and when they do, they are stiff and formal, as if the air of the hou

t care to explain themselves I do not see how you or any one else can criticise their conduct. They must ha

I don't know of any reason on God's earth which would keep me tie

live wit

ting, go for the doctor when they are sick, pay their bills, and buy

his wonde

dged. "I have heard of elderly women showing t

ls! Do you not think th

her voice when she put this question that for the first time made him

name?" he aske

is,

is it you

is to slight the good gifts which the Lord has bestowed upon them. They may listen to yo

glance rested upon her nervous nostril, weak mouth, and obstinate chin. But she evidently felt his sudden distrust, for her han

explained, "and it is for their own

ject? Have not their friends or relatives

ld lose their health if they kept on in the way they were going! But it was all waste breath;

ighed the matter a moment with himself before he put the one or two questions which her revelations suggested. Should he dismiss the woman with a rebuke for her forwardness, or should he hum

themselves shut up? Is

, because they never said anything about it, but at last it became very evident, and then we calcu

great

lked about it, and Miss Hermione had her dress ready. And they never went out again, not

mined at whatever cost to ask Edgar

ss Hermione was the admiration and pride of the whole town, notwithstanding that dreadful scar, while Miss Emma was the life of the house and

. He was already humiliating himself enough in thus discussing the daughters wit

ed eagerly: "Would you mind turning off into this lane, sir, where there are not so many persons to pry and peer at us? It is still early enough for people to see, and as

ut. When they were comfortably out of sight f

ou mean by

e two girls, making them live like spectres. I am not a fanciful person myself, nor given to imaginings, but that house, especially on nights when the wind blows, seems to be full of something not in nature; and though I

ful, nor given to imag

he girls' pale looks, I hear it in the girls' restless trea

not use the streets, so they make

lk for exerci

ni

etimes three, in the morning? Oh

nge affects their nerves and th

t's one, and sometimes it's the other. I know their diff

old shiver thr

into the different rooms and ask low to myself, 'Was it here that it happened, or was it there?' There is a little staircase on the second floor which takes a quick turn towards a big empty room where nobody ever sleeps,

mer, but he had changed much in some regards, so

m proved that she di

house? I love them both better than anything else in the whole world, a

incere, and Frank f

n house; as for your fears you will have to bear them, for I doubt

t their

, "not even t

inted and suddenly

day, and then everything will be different. Miss Emma is the most amiable," said she, "

a is the

s, in ev

the s

shows her feelings plainer, perhaps be

sting as was the topic on which they were engaged.

ut do not think of repeating this interview unless something of great importance should occur. It would not please them i

but when it is

peat it, Doris." And he bade her

ly at home during the early evening. He wanted to talk to him about Hermione's father, and his mood was too impatient for a lon

th Miss Cavanagh's father; that you were accustomed

urprise, faltered for a mo

er have called him hard. He was like-well he was like Raynor, that professor of ours, who understood everything about beetles and butterflies and such small fry, and knew very little about men or their wa

on? The house does not look as if i

his whims. I think he inherited the few thousands, upo

could be

times he was simply amiable and absent-minded. He

t did h

was not here, so do no

friend, as he always did when he had a ventureso

he conversation as this, yet he frowned and answered

ot know as I ever tried to; t

ound to have a

your mind to it for a few moments. A father cannot help b

ready to hand him his coffee when his experiments were over; but fond of the

ou kno

ld. She died when

elp me much,"

lp

ystery of those

gar's short

learning about the father, but n

with a re

I do-let the

engaged. I love Hermione Cavanagh, and I cannot

Edgar, and beca

of Hermione and then ask her to tell him her secret. He was so sure that w