"Well, my dear," replied Mr. Sheldon slowly, "I have been thinking that
the natural and easy way of guarding against all contingencies would be
by your effecting an insurance on your life in your mother's favour."
"No, no, papa!" cried Charlotte, with unwonted vehemence; "I would rather
do anything than that!"
"What can be your objection to such a very simple arrangement?"
"I dare say my objection seems foolish, childish even, papa; but I really
have a horror of life assurances. I always think of papa--my own poor
father, whom I loved so dearly. It seemed as if he put a price upon his
life for us. He was so anxious to insure his life--I remember hearing him
talk of it at Hyley, when I was a child--to make things straight, as he
said, for us; and, you see, very soon afterwards he died."
"But you can't suppose the insurance of his life had anything to do with
his death?"
"Of course not, I am not so childish as that; only--"
"Only you have a foolish lackadaisical prejudice against the only means
by which you can protect your mother against a contingency that is so
remote as to be scarcely worth consideration. Let it pass."
There was more anger in the tone than in the words. It was not that angry
tone, but the mention of her mother, that impressed Miss Halliday. She
began to consider that her objections were both foolish and selfish.
"If you really think I ought to insure my life, I will do so," she said
presently.
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