“That is right, my dear girl. So you shall buy it back—to-morrow, if you like! or as soon after as we can bring the present proprietor to terms. Mr. Alexander shall learn that some things can be done as well as others. But Drusilla, my darling, although we may purchase the place and restore it, I do not mean to consent that you shall ever return there to live alone; remember that.” “I do not mean to do so, sir. I will never leave you until my husband calls me back to him,” said Drusilla, giving him her hand. “That is right! that is sensible! Now, since you are fond of that little bird-cage, I will set about buying it for you directly. You shall have it for a New Year’s gift; and then if you _must_ see the place sometimes, why we can all go and live there instead of at a hotel, when we go to Washington for the season.” “Oh, how kind, how good you are to me,” breathed Drusilla, in a soft and low tone, with deep emotion; “but dear sir, do not think that I thank, or love, or bless you any the less, when I say that I do not wish this as a gift from your munificent hands. Dear uncle, I am well able to afford myself the pleasure of possessing my ‘toy cottage.’” “Ah! he _has_ provided handsomely for you, after all! Come! his villainy is a shade less black—I beg your pardon, my child! I won’t again! indeed I won’t—I mean his—transaction is a shade lighter than I supposed it. Well, I am glad, for his sake, that he has provided for you. But, Drusilla, my child, I would not take his money! having denied you his love and protection I would take nothing else from him.” “Dear uncle, although I do not need anything from my Alick except his love, yet, should he offer anything, I would gratefully accept it, hoping that his love would follow. But you are mistaken—he has made no provision for me.” “What did you mean then, my dear, by refusing Cedarwood as my gift and saying that you were able to purchase it yourself?” “I have a large fortune in my own right, dear sir.” “A fortune in your own right!” echoed Anna, in astonishment. “You never mentioned this circumstance before, my dear,” said the General, in surprise and incredulity. “Indeed, I had utterly forgotten it until my servant arrived with these letters from my solicitors. It was very stupid of me to forget it; but, dear sir, only think how many more important matters there were to drive it out of my head,” replied Drusilla, deprecatingly. “For my part, I do not think that anything can be more important to you, in present circumstances than the inheritance of a large fortune. It _is_ an inheritance, I suppose?” “Oh yes, sir,—from my grand-uncle, a merchant of San Francisco.” “And how large is the fortune?” “I do not know, sir—some millions, I think. Here are the lawyer’s letters. I have not looked at them yet,” said Drusilla, putting the “documents” in the hands of her old friend. “Astounding indifference!” he murmured to himself as he put on his spectacles and opened the letters.