But the mute likeness, buried in his grave,--that told the might of the sacrifice he had made! Death removes all distinctions, and in the coffin the Lord of Laughton might choose his partner.
When the will had been read, Mr.Parchmount produced two letters, one addressed, in the hand of the deceased, to Mr.Vernon, the other in the lawyer's own hand to Miss Clavering.

The last enclosed the fragment found on Sir Miles's table, and her own letter to Mainwaring, redirected to her in Sir Miles's boldest and stateliest autograph.

He had, no doubt, meant to return it in the letter left uncompleted.
The letter to Vernon contained a copy of Lucretia's fatal epistle, and the following lines to Vernon himself:-- MY DEAR CHARLES,--With much deliberation, and with natural reluctance to reveal to you my niece's shame, I feel it my duty to transmit to you the accompanying enclosure, copied from the original with my own hand, which the task sullied.
I do so first, because otherwise you might, as I should have done in your place, feel bound in honour to persist in the offer of your hand,--feel bound the more, because Miss Clavering is not my heiress; secondly, because had her attachment been stronger than her interest, and she had refused your offer, you might still have deemed her hardly and capriciously dealt with by me, and not only sought to augment her portion, but have profaned the house of my ancestors by receiving her there as an honoured and welcome relative and guest.

Now, Charles Vernon, I believe, to the utmost of my poor judgment, I have done what is right and just.

I have taken into consideration that this young person has been brought up as a daughter of my house, and what the daughters of my house have received, I bequeath her.