Part 51 (1/2)
”Perhaps you are right. I own I am a little inquisitive in the matter.”
”I am glad you mentioned it. I have so much on my mind that I should have let the day pa.s.s, and I should be sorry not to fulfill to the letter the promise I made to my friend.”
”Have you any suspicion as to the nature of the doc.u.ment?”
”I thought it might be a will; but, if so, I can't understand why a delay of six months should have been interposed.”
”Colonel Preston may have had his reasons. Possibly he did not fully trust his wife's attention to his requests.”
”It may be so. I am afraid his married life was not altogether harmonious. Mrs. Preston always struck me as a very selfish woman.”
”No doubt of that.”
”She evidently regarded herself as superior to the rest of us.”
”In that respect G.o.dfrey is like her. He is a self-conceited, disagreeable young jackanapes. I wouldn't give much for his chances of honorable distinction in life. I'll tell you of a boy who will, in my opinion, beat him in the race of life.”
”Who is that?”
”Andy Burke.”
”Andy is a good boy, but I am afraid the family is doing poorly now.”
”So I fear. The, fact is, there doesn't appear to be much opening for a lad like Andy in this village.”
”I hear that Mr. Graves, the storekeeper, who is getting old, wants to get a boy, or young man, with a small capital to take an interest in his business, and, eventually, succeed him.”
”That would be a good chance for Andy, if he had the small capital; but he probably hasn't ten dollars in the world.”
”That's a pity.”
”If I were a capitalist, I wouldn't mind starting him myself; but as you, my dear, are my most precious property, and are not readily convertible into cash, I don't quite see my way to do anything to a.s.sist him.”
”I didn't think of you, Henry. Country doctors are not likely to get rich. But I thought Colonel Preston, who seemed to take an interest in the boy, might do something for him.”
”If he had lived, he might have done so--probably he would. But Mrs.
Preston and G.o.dfrey hate the Burkes like poison, for no good reason that I know of, and there is no chance of help from that quarter.”
”I should think not.”
The next day, Dr. Townley, immediately after breakfast, drew the envelope already referred to from among his private papers, and, breaking the seal, opened it.
To his surprise and excitement, he discovered that the inclosure was the last will and testament of his deceased friend. Accompanying it was the following note:
”MY DEAR FRIEND, DR. TOWNLEY: This is the duplicate of a will executed recently, and expresses my well-considered wishes as to the disposition of my property. The original will may have been found and executed before you open this envelope. In that case, of course, this will be of no value, and you can destroy it. But I am aware that valuable papers are liable to loss or injury, and, therefore, I deem it prudent to place this duplicate in your possession, that, if the other be lost, you may see it carried into execution. I have named you my executor, and am sure, out of regard to me, you will accept the trust, and fulfill it to the best of your ability.
I have always felt the utmost confidence in your friends.h.i.+p, and this will account for my troubling you on the present occasion.