Within the Maze: A Novel, Vol. 2 (of 2)Wood, Henry, Mrs.
General
Within the Maze: A Novel, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Wood, Henry, Mrs.
English fiction -- 19th century
"A few hundreds a year, say four or five, are all that she will want
from you, or take. Her late uncle's money must come to her sometime,
and that of itself would be almost enough. She purposes to live a
retired life with her aunt; and I think it will be the happiest for
her. In my desk, Karl, you will find a paper in my handwriting,
setting forth all these wishes of hers and mine; it will serve as a
direction for you.--No," he went on, after a pause, "for her own
peace, the world must never know her as Lady Andinnian. She dreads it
too much. See you not the reason? She would have to stand before the
public convicted of perjury. That past trial is rarely out of her
mind, Karl--when she appeared falsely as Miss Rose Turner. The foolish
things people do in their blindness! It was my fault. _Her fault_ lay
only in obeying me: but your charitable people would not accept that
as an excuse. Be it as it may, Karl, Rose's life henceforth will be
one of modest position and strict retirement. Ann Hopley goes with
her."
Looking at the matter from all points of view, it might be, as Sir
Adam said, for the best.
"And you will be Sir Karl in reality as well as in seeming, brother
mine; and Foxwood will be your true home and your children's after
you. That is only justice. When you arranged to marry Lucy Cleeve, you
deemed yourself to be the inheritor, and she deemed it. My death will
set all right. And now about Smith, Karl. The man did me a great
service, for I should have been retaken but for him; and he has been
faithful to me since. I should like you to allow him something in the
shape of an annuity--a hundred and fifty pounds a year, or so. Not the
cottage: he will not stay in this neighbourhood when I am gone. It was
through me that his arm got injured: which, of course, partly
incapacitates him for work; and I think I am bound to provide for
him."
"It shall be done," said Karl. "Ungrudgingly."
"I have mentioned it in the paper, and the sum. He--he--he--"
Sir Adam's hesitation was caused by faintness. He broke down, and for
the time said no more. Nor did he recur to the subject again.
The day went on, Adam partially sleeping through it. At other times he
lay in a kind of stupor. Mr. Moore attended at intervals; but nothing
further could be done. At dusk Hewitt came over for a last sight of
his old master; for a last farewell: and he sobbed bitterly as he said
it.
Karl did not go home--at which Miss Blake was in much private wonder.
Discarding the poacher theory, she shrewdly suspected now that he must
be at the Maze, taking the opportunity of his wife's absence to play
the gay bachelor away from home. She asked Hewitt, she questioned
Giles; Giles knew nothing, Hewitt fancied Sir Karl, might be "detained
at Basham" on some business.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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