Colonel Thorndykes Secret | Page 5

false colors. It is not that I mind so much leaving here and looking after
the child's interest at Reigate, but I could not possibly take possession
of the place as its owner when I should not be so. Besides, there are
other objections. Mark would grow up supposing himself to be the
heir."
"Mark will be all right. I have, since I have been in London, signed a
will, leaving the rest of my fortune between them. I had it drawn up by
our father's solicitors, relying upon your consent to do what I asked you.
I have explained the matter to them, and given them the assignment, or
whatever they call it, of the Reigate estate to you, until my daughter
comes of age, appointing them her guardians should you die before that.
Thus, you will be placed in a proper position; and should it be known
by any means that the child is my daughter, that deed will still be a
proof that you are carrying out my wishes, and are absolute master of
the estate until she comes of age."
"I must think it all over, George. It is a singular proposal, and I own I
would rather things went on in their regular course."
"Yes, yes, I understand that, John; but you see I have altogether set my
mind on this matter. I want to know that my girl is not going to be
married for her money; and, at any rate, that deed makes you master of
the Reigate estates for the next thirteen years; so the only thing that I
really want of you is to let the girl be called your ward instead of your
niece, and that she and everyone else shall be in ignorance that she is an
heiress. So far from doing the girl a wrong, you will be doing her a
benefit; and as I have explained the whole matter to our lawyers, no
one can possibly think that the thing has been done from any motive
whatever except that of affording me satisfaction."
"I will think the matter over," John repeated. "Of course, brother, it has
been in your mind for some time, but it comes altogether fresh to me,
and I must look at it in every light. For myself, I have no wish at all to
become master of our father's estate. I have been going in one groove
for the last twenty years, and don't care about changing it. You wished
me to do so ten years ago, and I declined then, and the ten years have

not made me more desirous of change than I was before."
"All right; think it over. Please send Ramoo in to me; I have tired
myself in talking."
John Thorndyke smoked many churchwarden pipes in the little arbor in
his garden that day. In the afternoon his brother was so weak and tired
that the subject of the conversation was not reverted to. At eight o'clock
the Colonel went off to bed. The next morning, after breakfast, he was
brighter again.
"Well, John, what has come of your thinking?" he asked.
"I don't like it, George."
"You mayn't like it, John, but you will do it. I am not going to have my
girl run after by ruined spendthrifts who want her money to repair their
fortunes; and I tell you frankly, if you refuse I shall go up to town
tomorrow, and I shall make a new will, leaving all my property to your
son, subject to a life annuity of 200 pounds a year to the child, and
ordering that, in the event of his dying before he comes of age, or of
refusing to accept the provisions of the will, or handing any of the
property or money over to my daughter, the whole estate, money,
jewels, and all, shall go to the London hospitals, subject, as before, to
the annuity.
"Don't be an ass, brother John. Do you think that I don't know what I
am doing? I have seen enough of the evils of marrying for money out in
India. Every ship that comes out brings so many girls sent out to some
relation to be put on the marriage market, and marrying men old
enough to be pretty nearly their grandfathers, with the natural
consequence that there is the devil to pay before they have been
married a year or two. Come, you know you will do it; why not give in
at once, and have done with it? It is not a bad thing for you, it will be a
good thing for your boy, it will save my girl from fortune hunters, and
enable me to die quietly and comfortably."
"All right, George, I will do it. Mind, I don't