A few days later, he learnt, from a second letter, that the uncle was still alive, and likely to live; but, by that time, the money was well on its way, and reached Abellino punctually, to his great delight.
So now he had a hundred thousand more florins than he had reckoned upon, and at such times a man is apt to feel confident.

He therefore concocted a little scheme whereby Mrs.Meyer (the girl's own mother!) should artfully worm her way into the Boltay family, so as to get at her last daughter, and--we know the rest! She was to have sixty thousand florins down if the plan succeeded.

"Is it possible!" you will cry.

Yes, quite possible.

Say not that I paint monsters; it is life that I describe.
Mrs.Meyer, no doubt, reflected that sixty thousand florins was a nice little sum, and she meant to deposit thirty thousand of it in the savings bank on her own account, and thirty thousand on Fanny's, and thus the pair of them would be amply provided for for life.