Tales and Novels, vol 10 | Page 3

did not take in any
part of the facts, as they regarded herself. Astonished and, shocked, she
could feel nothing but the disgrace that would fall upon the memory of
her beloved uncle.
Then she exclaimed--"One part of it is not true, I am 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