The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1865-11-01

internal injuries were so great, that the
excellent old gentleman expired in few
hours after he had reached his home.
was hastily sent for; and when / arrived,
Sir Thomas was still fully conscious. He
impaired TO me matters of great moment,
to which he requested would direct, at
ter his decease, my best care and atten-
tion. His son, | was aware, had but just
returned from tour on the continent,
where he had been absent for nearly a
twelvemonth but was not aware, nei-
ther was the father till the day before his
death, that Mr.. Archibald Redwood had
not only sccretely espoused Miss Ashton
--of reduced family, but belonging TO
our best gentry-but had returned home,
not solely for the purpose Of soliciting Sir
Ihomas's forgiveness OF his unauthorized
espousals, but that the probable heir of
Redwood might be born within the walls
OF the ancient manor house. After the
first burst of passion and sArprise, Sir
Thomas, one Of the best hearted men in
the universe, cordially forgave his sons
disobediencc-partly, and quite rightly,
lmputing it to his own foolish urgency in
pressing a union with one of the Lacy
family, with which the baronet was very
intimate, and whose estate joined his.
swell, this lady, now a widow, had
been lett by her husband at Chester,
whilst he came on 10 seek an explanation
with his father. Mr. Archibald Red
wood was to have set out the next morn
ing i'll one of Sir Thomass carriages to
bring home his wife: and the baronet,
with his dying breath, babe me assure
her OF an entire forgiveness, and his ear
nest hope and trust that through her off
spring the race of the Redwools might
be continued in direct line The fam
lily estates, should tell you, being strict
ly entalled on heirsmale, dcvolved, if no
son OF Sir Archibald Redwood should bar
his claim, upon Charles Malvern, the son
OF II cousin of the late Mr.. Thomas Red
"ood. The baronet had always felt par
TALLY towards Malvern, and had assisted
hlm pecuniarly a hundred times. Sir
Thomas also directed me to draw as quick
~ as could short will bequeathing
t2O, 900 out of the personals. wrote
as expeditiously as | could, but by the
time the paper was ready for his sigma
ture, Sir Thomas was no longer conscious.
l placed the pen in his hand, and | fan.
cied he understo6l the purpose, for his
fingers closed iuintly upon it; but the
power to guide was utterly gone, and on
ly slight, scrambling stroke marked the
paper, as the pen slid across it in the dir
ection of the falling arm.
MIR. Malvern arrived az the manor
house about an hour after Sir Thomas
breathed his last. 1t was clearly appar-
ent through all his sorrow, partly real. |
have no doubt, as well as partly assumed.
that joy, the JOY of riches, spendor, sta
ton, was dancing at his heart, and, spite
ofall his efforts TO subdue or conceal,
sparkling in his eye. briefly, but as
gently AS lcoula. acquainted him with the
tue position of affairs. The revulsion
OF feelings which ensued entirely unman-
ned him; and it was not till an hour at
terwards that he recovered his self-posses-
sion sufficiently TO converse reasonably
and cody upon his position AT last lie
became apparently reconciled to the sud-
den overlooking of his ilnaginatively-bril-
liant prospects and it was agreed that. as
he was "A relative of the widow. he should
mt orce set oft 10 break the sad news TO
her. Well, It few days after his depart
ure, / received letter from him, stating
that Lady Redwood, Il don't think, by
the way, that, as her husband died before
succeeding TO the baronetcy, she is EMIT
led to that appeation of honor; we,
however, call her so out of courtesy
that Lady Redwood, though prematurely
confined in consequence Of the intelligence
OF her husbands untimely death, had Civ
en birth Ip female child, AMI that both
mother and daughter were as well as
could be expected. This. you will agree,
seemed perfectly satisfactory!
Entirely so.
SO | thought, Mr.. Malvern was now
unqnestlonably, whether Sir Charles
Malvern or not, the proprietor of the
Redwood estates, burdened as with a
charge, in accordance with the conditions
of the entails, of u thousand pounds life
annuity TO the late Mr.. Redwouds infant
daughter
'Sr Charles returned to Redwood
manor-house, where his wife and family
soon after arrived. Lady Redwood had
been joined, | understood, by her mother.
Mrs. Ashton, and would, when able to
undertake the journey, return to her ma
ternal home. 1t was about two months
after Sir Thomas Redwood's death that
determined to pay Lady Redwood visit,
in order to the winding up of the person
al estate, which it was desirable 10 ac-
compliSh as speedily as possible and then
a new and terrible light flashed upon
me-
What in heavens name = l excla;m-
ed, for the first time breaking silence
'what could there be to reveal T.
Only rejoined Mr.. Repton, that i'll,
delirious as Lady Redwood admitted
herself to have been, it was her intimate,
unconquerable conviction, that she had
given birth to twins =
Good God And you suspect
we dou't know what to suspect
Should the lady's confident belief be cor
rect, the missing child might have been
boy. You understand 2
Il do. But is there any tangible evi.