The Eustace Diamonds | Page 6

for it was
known by all concerned that in the settlements made she had been
treated with unwonted generosity.
CHAPTER II
LADY EUSTACE
There were circumstances in her position which made it impossible that
Lizzie Greystock, or Lady Eustace, as we must now call her, should be
left altogether to herself in the modest widow's retreat which she had
found at Brighton. It was then April, and it was known that if all things
went well with her she would be a mother before the summer was over.
On what the Fates might ordain in this matter immense interests were
dependent. If a son should be born he would inherit everything, subject,
of course, to his mother's settlement. If a daughter, to her would belong
the great personal wealth which Sir Florian had owned at the time of
his death. Should there be no son, John Eustace, the brother, would
inherit the estates in Yorkshire which had been the backbone of the
Eustace wealth. Should no child be born, John Eustace would inherit
everything that had not been settled upon or left to the widow. Sir
Florian had made a settlement immediately before his marriage, and a
will immediately afterwards. Of what he had done then, nothing had
been altered in those sad Italian days. The settlement had been very
generous. The whole property in Scotland was to belong to Lizzie for
her life, and after her death was to go to a second son, if such second
son there should be. By the will money was left to her--more than
would be needed for any possible temporary emergency. When she
knew how it all was arranged, as far as she did know it, she was aware
that she was a rich woman. For so clever a woman she was infinitely
ignorant as to the possession and value of money and land and income,
though, perhaps, not more ignorant than are most young girls under
twenty- one. As for the Scotch property, she thought that it was her
own forever, because there could not now be a second son, and yet was
not quite sure whether it would be her own at all if she had no son.
Concerning that sum of money left to her, she did not know whether it
was to come out of the Scotch property or be given to her separately,

and whether it was to come annually or to come only once. She had
received, while still in Naples, a letter from the family lawyer, giving
her such details of the will as it was necessary that she should know,
and now she longed to ask questions, to have her belongings made
plain to her, and to realise her wealth. She had brilliant prospects; and
yet, through it all, there was a sense of loneliness that nearly killed her.
Would it not have been much better if her husband would have lived,
and still worshipped her, and still allowed her to read poetry to him?
But she had read no poetry to him after that affair of Messrs. Harter &
Benjamin.
This has, or will have, but little to do with these days, and may be
hurried on through the twelve, or even twenty-four, months which
followed the death of poor Sir Florian. The question of the heirship,
however, was very grave; and early in the month of May, Lady Eustace
was visited by her husband's uncle, Bishop Eustace, of Bobsborough.
The bishop had been the younger brother of Sir Florian's father, was at
this time about fifty, very active and very popular, and was one who
stood high in the world, even among bishops. He suggested to his
niece-in-law that it was very expedient that, during her coming hour of
trial, she should not absent herself from her husband's family, and at
last persuaded her to take up her residence at the palace at
Bobsborough till such time as the event should be over. Lady Eustace
was taken to the palace, and in due time a son was born. John, who was
now the uncle of the heir, came down, and, with the frankest
good-humour, declared that he would devote himself to the little head
of the family. He had been left as guardian, and the management of the
great family estates was to be in his hands. Lizzie had read no poetry to
him, and he had never liked her, and the bishop did not like her, and the
ladies of the bishop's family disliked her very much, and it was thought
by them that the dean's people--the Dean of Bobsborough was Lizzie's
uncle--were not very fond of Lizzie since Lizzie had so raised herself in
the world as to want no assistance from them. But still they were bound
to do their