The Lady of the Shroud | Page 8

of any man.
Having now expressed as clearly as I can the limitations by which I am
bound with regard to the corpus of your estate, let me say that in any
other way which is in my power or discretion I shall be most happy to
see your wishes carried out so far as rests with me. Indeed, I shall
undertake to use what influence I may possess with my co-trustees to
induce them to take a similar view of your wishes. In my own thinking
you are quite free to use your own property in your own way. But as,
until you shall have attained your majority, you have only life-user in
your mother's bequest, you are only at liberty to deal with the annual
increment. On our part as trustees we have a first charge on that
increment to be used for purposes of your maintenance, clothes, and
education. As to what may remain over each half-year, you will be free
to deal with it as you choose. On receiving from you a written
authorization to your trustees, if you desire the whole sum or any part
of it to be paid over to Miss Janet MacKelpie, I shall see that it is
effected. Believe me, that our duty is to protect the corpus of the estate,
and to this end we may not act on any instruction to imperil it. But
there our warranty stops. We can deal during our trusteeship with the
corpus only. Further, lest there should arise any error on your part, we

can deal with any general instruction for only so long as it may remain
unrevoked. You are, and must be, free to alter your instructions or
authorizations at any time. Thus your latest document must be used for
our guidance.
As to the general principle involved in your wish I make no comment.
You are at liberty to deal with your own how you will. I quite
understand that your impulse is a generous one, and I fully believe that
it is in consonance with what had always been the wishes of my sister.
Had she been happily alive and had to give judgment of your intent, I
am convinced that she would have approved. Therefore, my dear
nephew, should you so wish, I shall be happy for her sake as well as
your own to pay over on your account (as a confidential matter between
you and me), but from my own pocket, a sum equal to that which you
wish transferred to Miss Janet MacKelpie. On hearing from you I shall
know how to act in the matter. With all good wishes,
Believe me to be,
Your affectionate uncle, ROGER MELTON.
TO RUPERT SENT LEGER, ESQ. Letter from Rupert Sent Leger to
Roger Melton, July 5, 1892.
MY DEAR UNCLE,
Thank you heartily for your kind letter. I quite understand, and now see
that I should not have asked you as a trustee, such a thing. I see your
duty clearly, and agree with your view of it. I enclose a letter directed
to my trustees, asking them to pay over annually till further direction to
Miss Janet MacKelpie at this address whatever sum may remain over
from the interest of my mother's bequest after deduction of such
expenses as you may deem fit for my maintenance, clothing, and
education, together with a sum of one pound sterling per month, which
was the amount my dear mother always gave me for my personal
use--"pocket-money," she called it.
With regard to your most kind and generous offer to give to my dear

Aunt Janet the sum which I would have given myself, had such been in
my power, I thank you most truly and sincerely, both for my dear aunt
(to whom, of course, I shall not mention the matter unless you specially
authorize me) and myself. But, indeed, I think it will be better not to
offer it. Aunt Janet is very proud, and would not accept any benefit.
With me, of course, it is different, for since I was a wee child she has
been like another mother to me, and I love her very much. Since my
mother died--and she, of course, was all-in- all to me--there has been
no other. And in such a love as ours pride has no place. Thank you
again, dear uncle, and God bless you.
Your loving nephew, RUPERT SENT LEGER.
ERNEST ROGER HALBARD MELTON'S RECORD--Continued,
And now re the remaining one of Sir Geoffrey's children, Roger. He
was the third child and third son, the only daughter, Patience, having
been born twenty years after the last of the four sons. Concerning
Roger, I shall put down all I have heard of him from my father and
grandfather. From my grand-aunt I