The Cuckoo in the Nest, v. 2/2Oliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
General
The Cuckoo in the Nest, v. 2/2
Oliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
Fiction
“The partisans and opponents of this lady will have a new problem
offered to them in the new and startling incident which is now announced
as the climax of this story. Those who have all along believed in the
disinterestedness of the young and charming Mrs. Piercey will be
delighted to hear that she has now presented herself again before the
public, in the most romantic and attractive light by freely and of her
own will resigning the Manor of Greyshott, to which a jury of her
countrymen had decided her to be fully entitled, to the heirs-at-law of
the late Sir Giles Piercey, together with all the old furniture,
pictures, family plate, etc., contained in the manor house--a gift
equally magnificent and unexpected. It is now stated that this has all
along been Mrs. Piercey’s intention, and that but for the trial, which
put her at once on her defence, she would have made this magnanimous
renunciation immediately after coming into the property. Her rights
having been assailed, however, it is natural that a high-spirited young
woman should have felt it her first duty to vindicate her character; and
that she should now carry out her high-minded intention, after all the
obloquy which it has been attempted to throw on her, and the base
motives imputed to her, is a remarkable instance of magnanimity which,
indeed, we know nothing to equal. It is, indeed, heaping coals of fire
on the heads of her accusers, for whom, however, it must be said that
their irritation in finding themselves so unexpectedly deprived of the
inheritance they had confidently expected, was natural and justifiable.
It must be a satisfaction to all that a _cause célèbre_ which attracted
so much attention should end in such a fine act of restitution, and that
an ancient family should thus be restored to their ancestral place. We
are delighted to add that Mrs. Piercey, who still retains a fine fortune
bequeathed to her by the love and gratitude of her father-in-law, whom
she nursed with the greatest devotion till his death, is about to
contract a second marriage with a gentleman very well known in the
cricketing world.”
“In the name of Heaven, what is the meaning of that?” cried old Sir
Francis Piercey, who was a choleric old gentleman, flinging down the
newspaper (which only arrived in the evening), and turning a crimson
countenance, flushed with astonishment and offence, to his son Gerald
and his daughter-in-law Margaret, who had returned to their home in the
north only a few days before. Sir Francis was a very peppery old man,
and constantly thought, as do many heads of houses conscious of having
grown a little hard of hearing, that nothing was told him, and that even
in respect to the events most interesting to the family he was
systematically kept in the dark.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account