England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
"Janet!--Janet!--Janet! Oh, my dear Janet, I am coming!"
He fell back and died. Did anything really appear to him, not visible to
the mortal eyes around? Were his senses, in that moment of the soul's
departure, opened to a glimpse of the world he was about to enter? It
cannot be known. Had it been fiction it would not have been written
here.
A little later, the bell of All Souls' Church, booming out over the town
on the night air, told that Sir George Godolphin had passed away.
It was somewhat remarkable that another funeral, at which Thomas
Godolphin was again chief mourner, should follow so closely upon
Ethel's. A different sort of ceremony, this: a rare pageant. A pageant
which was made up of plumes and trappings and decorated horses, and
carriages and mutes and batons, and a line of attendants, and all the
other insignia of the illustrious dead. Ethel could be interred simply
and quietly, but Sir George must be attended to the grave as the
Godolphin of Ashlydyat. I don't suppose poor Sir George rested any the
better for it.
Sir George made an equitable will, but it proved a vexatious one to his
widow. Thomas had Ashlydyat: George, a fair sum of money; the Miss
Godolphins, each her portion; and there were certain bequests to
servants. But little was left to Lady Godolphin: indeed, the amount of
the bequest was more in accordance with what might be willed to a
friend, than to a wife. But, it was not in that that the grievance lay.
Lady Godolphin had the Folly, she had Broomhead, and she had an ample
income of her own. She was not a particularly covetous woman, and she
had never expected or wished that Sir George should greatly take from
his family, to add to it. No, it was not that: but the contents of a
certain little codicil which was appended to the will. This codicil set
forth that every article of furniture or property, which had been
removed to the Folly from Ashlydyat, whatever might be its nature, and
down to the minutest item, should be returned to Ashlydyat, and become
the property of Thomas Godolphin.
It would pretty nearly strip the Folly, and my lady was very wrathful.
Not for the value of the things: she sustained no injury there: for the
codicil directed that a specified sum of money (their full value) should
be handed over to Lady Godolphin to replace them with new at the Folly.
But it struck upon her in the light of a slight, and she chose to resent
it as one. It was specially enjoined that the things should be placed at
Ashlydyat in the old spots where they had formerly stood.
But, be wrathful as she might, grumble as she would, there could be no
rebellion to it in action. And Lady Godolphin had to bow to it.
CHAPTER XVII.
A ROW ON THE WATER.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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