Tales and Novels, vol 10 | Page 3

certain:" and hastily leaving the room, she returned immediately with a letter in her hand, which, without speaking, she laid before Mr. Collingwood, who wiped his spectacles quickly, and read.
It was addressed to the poor dean, and was from an old friend of his, Colonel Munro, stating that he had been suddenly ordered to India, and was obliged to return a sum of money which the dean had many years before placed in his hands, to secure a provision for his niece, Miss Stanley.
This letter had arrived when the dean was extremely ill. Helen had been afraid to give it to him, and yet thought it right to do so. The moment her uncle had read the letter, which he was still able to do, and to comprehend, though he was unable to speak, he wrote on the back with difficulty, in a sadly trembling hand, yet quite distinctly, these words:--"That money is yours, Helen Stanley: no one has any claim upon it. When I am gone consult Mr. Collingwood; consider him as your guardian."
Mr. Collingwood perceived that this provision had been made by the dean for his niece before he had contracted his present debts--many years before, when he had sold his paternal estate, and that knowing his own disposition to extravagance, he had put this sum out of his own power.
"Right--all right, my dear Miss Stanley," said the vicar; "I am very glad--it is all justly yours."
"No," said Helen, "I shall never touch it: take it, my dear Mr. Collingwood, take it, and pay all the debts before any one can complain."
Mr. Collingwood pressed her to him without speaking; but after a moment's recollection he replied:--"No, no, my dear child, I cannot let you do this: as your guardian, I cannot allow such a young creature as you are, in a moment of feeling, thus to give away your whole earthly fortune--it must not be."
"It must, indeed it must, my dear sir. Oh, pay everybody at once--directly."
"No, not directly, at all events," said Mr. Collingwood--certainly not directly: the law allows a year."
"But if the money is ready," said Helen, "I cannot understand why the debt should not be paid at once. Is there any law against paying people immediately?"
Mr. Collingwood half smiled, and on the strength of that half smile Helen concluded that he wholly yielded. "Yes, do," cried she, "send this money this instant to Mr. James, the solicitor: he knows all about it, you say, and he will see everybody paid."
"Stay, my dear Miss Stanley," said the vicar, "I cannot consent to this, and you should be thankful that I am steady. If I were at this minute to consent, and to do what you desire--pay away your whole fortune, you would repent, and reproach me with my folly before the end of the year--before six months were over."
"Never, never," said Helen.
Mrs. Collingwood strongly took her husband's side of the question. Helen could have no idea, she said, how necessary money would be to her. It was quite absurd to think of living upon air; could Miss Stanley think she was to go on in this world without money?
Helen said she was not so absurd; she reminded Mrs. Collingwood that she should still have what had been her mother's fortune. Before Helen had well got out the words, Mrs. Collingwood replied,
"That will never do, you will never be able to live upon that; the interest of Lady Anne Stanley's fortune, I know what it was, would just do for pocket-money for you in the style of life for which you have been educated. Some of your uncle's great friends will of course invite you presently, and then you will find what is requisite with that set of people."
"Some of my uncle's friends perhaps will," said Helen; "but I am not obliged to go to great or fine people, and if I cannot afford it I will not, for I can live independently on what I have, be it ever so little."
Mrs. Collingwood allowed that if Helen were to live always in the country in retirement, she might do upon her mother's fortune.
"Wherever I live--whatever becomes of me, the debts must be paid--I will do it myself;" and she took up a pen as she spoke--"I will write to Mr. James by this day's post."
Surprised at her decision of manner and the firmness of one in general so gentle, yielding, and retired, and feeling that he had no legal power to resist, Mr. Collingwood at last gave way, so far as to agree that he would in due time use this money in satisfying her uncle's creditors; provided she lived for the next six months within her income.
Helen smiled, as if that were a needless proviso.
"I warn you," continued Mr. Collingwood, "that you will most probably find