The weekly standard., 1870-08-17
A Princely Fortune!

II A1hOC1J Il VI UuhOs
HOW INHERITED IT, AND HOW WAS ROBBED
OF THE BULK OF IT.
That was my fortune. There is no dream,
no romance l set down the simple truth,
strange as it may appear to many. During
Il portion of my life that was my income
u million sterling per minute-securcd to me
by papers in my own hands Never had l
conceived of so much wealth as those pa
pers entitled me to, and even as | read them
did not believe in their reality. They were
real, nevertheless. So was the fortune. So,
am persuaded now. were the circumstan-
ces, romantic as they seem, under which l
gained and lost
The money came to me under the will of
old Rodney Gauntlet Everybody in the
city knew him in his lifetime-knew him us
shrewd, active, hot tempered man, and
called him "old," while he was yet in his
prime. AS far as my memory looks back,
he justified the epithet. He looked old,
withered, and dried up, yet there was plenty
of life in him, as those found who crossed
his path or tried to overreach him in busi-
ness transactions that took him every day
into the chief places of resort in the city.
His black eyes burnt under frost white
brows, and when contradicted and opposed,
the purple blood would rush into his ca
daverous cheek, ur swell the veins in his
forehead. till he was fearful to look at.
at ordinary times he was mild and gentle
except that he was always absorbed in bu-
siness, he might have been kind and tender.
To me heIsometimes was so, If he ever un-
bent, it was to his little Julie as he called
me, and that was more often, think, when
had grown out of my childhood and be-
came woman; and so more of companion
to him. In my younger life I remember
fancying that he avoided, and even regarded
ME with dislike. 1t might have been so.
There was no apparent reason why he should
regard me in any other light Iwas onlE-
old friend-one Colonel Anthony Wyvcrn-
whom he had adopted out of charity.
Having so adopted me, he did his duty
by me. All admitted that; the praise OF
him in that particular rang as ceaseless
pGan in his ears, and in mine. And l was
daily hidden to take note how good he was
how loving and how generous; and what
infinite return, by way of goodness, graft
tudc, docility, perseverance, and know no
what other virtues, all this demanded at m!
hands. am afraid | sometimes wished II
had bcen less 10 me, 50 that there NIGH
have been some hope of my being to hir
what it was declared my duty to become.
tried my best, however; and he, b'
Teye. was satisfied. Our home was an oi
one that had held its own in the city VINE
the city had even its palaces. But IN IL
long course of time it had yielded, 1901
foot, to encroachment on all sides, until
was fairly brickcd in, and utterly lost
public gaze. 1t could only be reached
means of a passage through another nous
which had planted its great broad pa
rirht in front of our windows, ami so 9
structed cur view and shut out our ll9i
This want of light Is what always most
ycrely felt; for the rooms were large, loi
and proportionateiy gloomy; and there
one with painted ceiling that l dared
enter; for the figures, gaunt and wrlthn
always seemed alive up there IN the gloo
and haunted even my dreams.
Old Rodney Gauntletts own rooms W
on the ground floor, they. were like d
ueons. but he never saw them so. All
wear round he brcakfasted and dIned
candle hght--yclow wax lights, Ill Old
ted caudelabra, red and copper, were alw
lit for him night and morning. mat
his fancy. and, like all other habits, had ia
firm root III him.
Bridget and lived up stairs. Bird
by the way, was domestic, housekee
nurse. and general servant in one. She
as old as her master. Thin, white it
pecped out from under her mob cap, DO
round with q black ribbon, and shone
silver. Her skin was yellow and wrlnk
her hands suggested claws, they wei
hard and fieshless Butshe had an eye br
and true as hawks; it defied age. Brl
was nv good friend and almost sole
panion. If could have wished her
than she was it would have been in res
of her sense of Rodney Gauntlett's goot
to me, and of the hard measure OF graft
she thought proper to exact from my un
py self in return. In this respect she
unflinching. was never suffered to II
that subsistcd ON charity, or that pc
so circumstanced had no rights-they
only duties.
ksI was saving, our rooms were up
thew were three in number, and forme
whole of the second floor. My share
prised a very large bedroom, that had
reception room In the old tlmes'
smaller apartment opening out OF 1t;
cts chamber was outside mine, hel
close to the top of the great stairca
that, sleeping there, she in manner
watch and ward over me.
The smaller room in which l llYe'
like borrowed room from the last &c
II was Wainscnted and had manti
carved over with cupids, enga ged IN IL
ing heavy wreaths about 1t. Above,
was an oval glass slanting forward S
it reflected all below 1t, only fraction
SURFACE bcjng hidden 10y small clio
which it appeared to rest The iu
was in keeping; tables with carved le
brass handles and fittings; chairs wi
backs and striped moreen cushions
toirs with drawers. and Indian jars-a
were conspicuous. But most cons
of all was a Japanese cabinet, yer.
and cumbrous, black as ebony, with
fieurcs in gold and dead colors, in sl
lief II must once have been very
but now out of repair, and was only
receptacle for papers.
never recall my room without a.
of this cabinet. 1t is especially as:
with the first visit of u friend OF
Gauntletts, who afterwards came
the house. far oftener than care
him. l recall that visit like 1t dl
seem to see myself, Il pale, slim
hair of a reddish hue, so thick tina
never keep its place in any knot int
Twist it, but it is always hanging
shoulders studded with hair pins.
ing, and 1 am close to the window W
ing my eyes oyer book in the fall
The book touched me deeply, an
conscious that my eyelids are red
there are tears on my cheeks. !"