"
Mr. Sheldon made no reply to this observation. He sat looking at the
fire, with that steady gaze which was habitual to him--the gaze of the
man who plans and calculates.
"My dear," he said by-and-by, "it seems that this money to which you may
or may not be entitled is more than we thought at first; in fact, it
appears that the sum is a considerable one. I have been, and still am,
particularly anxious to guard against disappointment on your part, as I
know the effect that such a disappointment is apt to produce upon a
person's life. The harassing slowness of Chancery proceedings is
proverbial; I am therefore especially desirous that you should not count
upon this money."
"I shall never do that, papa. I should certainly like a fine edition of
the Encyclopaedia Britannica for Valentine, by-and-by, as he says that is
essential for a literary man; and a horse, for people say literary men
ought to take horse exercise. But beyond that--"
"We need scarcely go into these details, my dear. I want you to
understand the broad facts of the case. While, on the one hand, our
success in obtaining the inheritance which we are about to claim for you
is uncertain, on the other hand the inheritance is large. Of course, when
I presented you with the sum of five thousand pounds, I had no idea of
this possible inheritance."
"O, of course not, papa."
"But I now find that there is such a possibility as your becoming
a--well--a rich woman.
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