[The English Orphans by Mary Jane Holmes]@TWC D-Link bookThe English Orphans CHAPTER XXIX 13/16
"And it's nothing so very marvellous either, or at least it does not affect _me_ in the least." Henry did not reply, but there was that passing through his mind which might affect Ella not a little.
As the reader knows, he was marrying her for her money; and now if that money was to be shared with another, the bride lost half her value! But such thoughts must not be expressed, and when Henry next spoke, he said very calmly, "Well, I'm glad on Mary's account, for your aunt will undoubtedly share her fortune with her;" and Henry's eyes turned upon Ella with a deeper meaning than she could divine. It was so long since Ella had felt the need of money that she had almost ceased to know its value, and besides this, she had no suspicion of Henry's motive in questioning her; so she carelessly replied that nothing had been said on the subject, though she presumed her aunt would make Mary heiress with herself, as she had recently taken a violent fancy to her.
Here the conversation flagged, and Henry fell into a musing mood, from which Ella was forced to rouse him when it was time to go.
As if their thoughts were flowing in the same channel, Mrs.Campbell that evening was thinking of Mary, and trying to devise some means by which to atone for neglecting her so long. Suddenly a new idea occurred to her, upon which she determined immediately to act, and the next morning Mr.Worthington was sent for, to draw up a new will, in which Mary Howard was to share equally with her sister. "Half of all I own is theirs by right," said she, "and what I want is, that on their 21st birth-day they shall come into possession of the portion which ought to have been their mother's, while at my death the remainder shall be equally divided between them." The will was accordingly drawn up, signed and sealed, Mr.Worthington keeping a rough draft of it, which was thrown among some loose papers in his office.
A few afterwards Henry coming accidentally upon it, read it without any hesitation. "_That_ settles it at once," said he, "and I can't say I'm sorry, for I was getting horribly sick of her.
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