by L. T. Meade
CHAPTER XXV.
TREVOR'S RESOLVE.
If Trevor had a fault it was obstinacy. He stayed awake for a shorttime, but finally dropped asleep, having made up his mind, of course,not to injure Bertha Keys, whom he could not understand in the least,but to have, as he expressed it, a sober talk with Mrs. Aylmer. He sawthat Bertha, for reasons of her own, was very much against this course,and he resolved to keep out of her way. He rose early and went for along ride before breakfast. He did not return until he knew Bertha wouldbe busy over household matters, and Mrs. Aylmer would in all probabilitybe alone in her private sitting-room.
He tapped at her door between eleven and twelve o'clock, and at hersummons entered and closed it behind him.
"Ah, Maurice, that is good," said the lady; "come and sit near me. I amquite prepared to have a long chat with you."
"And I want to have a long talk with you, Mrs. Aylmer," was his answer.He drew a chair forward, and sat where he could see right out over thelandscape.
"It is a beautiful day," said the lady.
"Yes," he replied.
"Maurice," she said, after a pause, "you must know that I am very muchattached to you."
"You have always been extremely good to me," he answered.
"I am attached to you; it is easy to be good to those one loves. I havenever had a child of my own; you stand to me in the place of a son."
"But in reality I am not related to you," he answered.
She frowned slightly.
"There are relations of the heart," she said then. "You have touched myheart. There is nothing I would not do for you."
Again he said: "You are very kind."
She was silent for half a minute, then she proceeded: "You are my heir."
He fidgeted.
"Do not speak until I have finished. I do not like to be interrupted.You are my heir, and I mean to settle upon you immediately one thousandpounds a year for your own expenses. You can do what you please withthat money."
"It is a great deal too much," he said.
"It is not; it is what you ought to have. You can give some of it toyour mother--not a great deal, but a little--and the rest you can spendon yourself, or you can hoard it, just as you like."
"I shall not hoard it," he answered, and his face flushed.
"It will be yours from next month. I am expecting my lawyer, Mr.Wiltshire, to call here this afternoon. Several matters have to bearranged. Maurice, you will live with me for the present; that is, untilyou marry."
"I do not mean to marry," he answered.
"All young men say that," she replied. "You will marry as others do.You will fall in love and you will marry. I shall be very glad indeed towelcome your wife. She shall have the best and most affectionate welcomefrom me, and I will treat her as though she were my daughter: just as Itreat you, Maurice, as though you were my real son."
"But I cannot forget that I am not your son," he answered. "Mrs. Aylmer,there is something I must say."
His words disturbed her for a moment; she did not speak, but looked athim in a puzzled manner; then she said: "If you have somethingdisagreeable to tell me (and I cannot imagine what it is), at least hearmy point of view first. I am particularly anxious that you should marry.As my heir, you are already comparatively rich, and your expectationsare excellent. You will have at my death a very large income. You willalso be the owner of this fine property. Now, I should like you tomarry, and I should like you to marry wealth."
"Why so? How unfair!" said the young man.
"It is a wish of mine. Wealth attracts wealth. There is a girl whom Ihave heard of--whom I have, I believe, some years ago seen--a verysweet, very graceful, very pretty girl. Her name is Miss Sharston. Shewas poor, but I have lately heard that Sir John Wallis, the owner ofCherry Court Park, in Buckinghamshire, is going to make her his heiress.She is coming on a visit here. I cannot, of course, force yourinclination, Maurice; but if by any chance you and Catherine Sharstonshould take a fancy to each other, it would be a union after my ownheart."
"Thank you," he answered. He rose immediately to his feet. "You aretreating me with your customary liberality. You have always been mostliberal, most generous. I am the son of a widow with very small means.My father was strictly a man of honour. He was a soldier, and he fell inhis country's cause. I hope that, although he could not leave me gold,he could and did leave me honour. I cannot afford to have my honourtarnished."
"Maurice! I tarnish your honour! You really make very extraordinaryinsinuations. What does this mean?"
"You didn't think about it, dear friend; it has not occurred to you tolook at it in this light, but, believe me, such is the case."
"Maurice!"
"I only knew of it lately," he continued, "and by an accident. You wantto give me a great deal of money now; you want to leave me a large sumof money in the future. You propose that I shall if possible marry agirl who is also to be very rich. That is a subject which cannot even bediscussed. I do not think, whatever happens, that I could marry any girlI did not love. If this girl comes here, I shall of course be glad tomake her acquaintance, but I do not think it is right or just to her tomention such a subject in connection with her name. But to proceed toother matters. If I were to accept your offer just as you have made it,I should perhaps be able to spend my money, and perhaps in a fashion toenjoy it, but I should no longer feel happy when my brave father's namewas mentioned, nor should I feel happy when I looked into the eyes of myreal mother."
"Go on, Maurice; this is very quixotic, very extraordinary, and, let meadd, very fatiguing," said Mrs. Aylmer. "I make you the best offer Ihave ever made to anybody, and even you, my dear boy, must recogniselimits in our intercourse."
"I ought not to be your heir," he said; "I will come to the point atonce. You ought not to leave your money to me; it is not just norright."
"And pray may I not leave my money to whom I please?"
"You ought not to leave it to me; you ought to leave it to Miss Aylmer."
"Miss Aylmer! What Miss Aylmer?"
"Her name is Florence. I met her in London. I met her also at Dawlish.She is very poor. She is a brave girl, independent, with courage andability. She is about to make a striking success in the world ofliterature; but she is poor--poor almost to the point of starvation. Whyshould she be so struggling, and why should I, who am no relative ofyours, inherit all this wealth? It won't do, Mrs. Aylmer; and, what ismore, I won't have it."
Mrs. Aylmer was so absolutely astonished that she did not speak at allfor a moment.
"You are mad," she said then slowly.
"No, I am not mad: I am sane. I shall be very glad to receive a littlehelp from you. I shall be your devoted son in all but name, but I do notwant your money: I mean I don't want any longer to be your heir. Giveyour wealth to Florence Aylmer, and forget that you have made thissuggestion to me. Believe me, you will be happy if you do so."
"Are you in love with this girl?" said Mrs. Aylmer slowly.
"You have no right to ask the question; but I will answer it. I do notthink I am in love with her. I believe I am actuated by a sense ofjustice. I want you to do justice to this girl, and I want to give youin return my undying gratitude and undying respect."
"Indeed; what valuable possessions! Now, my dear Maurice, you have justgone a step too far. As you have spoken of Florence Aylmer, I will tellyou something about her. There was a time when I intended to leave hermy money. I intended to adopt her, to educate her, to bring her out asmy niece and heiress. She herself by her own unworthy conduct preventedmy doing so. She acted in a most dishonourable way. I will not tell youwhat she did, but if you wish to know farther go and see Sir JohnWallis, of Cherry Court Park, and ask him what he thinks of FlorenceAylmer."
"Then you refuse to do what I ask?"
"I utterly and absolutely refuse to leave Florence Aylmer one halfpennyof my money; and, what is more, the thousand a year which I intend tosettle on you will be only given on condition that you do not helpFlorence Aylmer wi
th one penny of it. Do not answer me now. You areyoung and impulsive; not a word more at present. I will ask Mr.Wiltshire to postpone his visit for three months. During that time youcan consider matters. During that time I expect everything to go on justas usual. During part of that time Miss Sharston and her father and alsoSir John Wallis will be my guests. At the end of that time I will againhave an interview with you. But unless you promise to give up yourpresent mad ideas, and to let Miss Aylmer pursue her own career,unhelped by you, unmolested by you, I shall find another heir or heiressfor my property."
"I don't want the time to consider," said Maurice, whose face now waswhite with suppressed feeling. "Let your lawyer come now, Mrs. Aylmer;my mind is made up."
"I will not take your decision now, you foolish boy. You are bound,because of my kindness in the past, to take three months to considerthis matter. But leave me; I am tired."