The Red Redmaynes | Page 9

of

Uncle Robert from time to time, for he was kind to me and liked me to
be with him in my holidays. He did very little work. Most of his time
he was at the races, or down in Cornwall at Penzance, where he was
supposed to be courting a young woman--a hotel keeper's daughter. I
had just left school and was about to leave England and go to live with
my grandfather in Australia, when events happened swiftly, one on top
of the other, and life was changed for all us Redmaynes."
"Rest a little if you are tired," said Mark. He saw by her occasional
breaks and the sighs that lifted her bosom, how great an effort Mrs.
Pendean was making to tell her story well.
"I will go straight on," she answered. "It was summertime and I was
stopping with my Uncle Robert at Penzance when two great
things--indeed three great things--happened. The war broke out, my
grandfather died in Australia and, lastly, I became engaged to Michael
Pendean.
"I had loved Michael devotedly for a year before he asked me to marry
him. But when I told my Uncle Robert what had happened he chose to
disapprove and considered that I had made a serious mistake. My future
husband's parents were dead. His father had been the head of a firm
called Pendean and Trecarrow, whose business was the importation of
pilchards to Italy. But Michael, though he had now succeeded his father
in the business, took no interest in it. It gave him an income, but his
own interests were in a mechanical direction. And, incidentally, he was
always a good deal of a dreamer and liked better to plan than to carry
out.
"We loved one another passionately and I have very little doubt that my
uncles would have raised no objection to our marrying in the long run,
had not unfortunate events happened to set them against our betrothal.
"On the death of my grandfather it was found that he had written a
peculiar will; and we also learned that his fortune would prove
considerably smaller than his sons expected. However, he left rather
more than one hundred and fifty thousand. It appeared that during the
last ten years of his life, he had lost his judgment and made a number of

hopeless investments.
"The terms of the will put all his fortune into the power of my Uncle
Albert, my grandfather's eldest living son. He told Uncle Albert to
divide the total proceeds of the estate between himself and his two
brothers as his judgment should dictate, for he knew that Albert was a
man of scrupulous honour and would do justly by all. With regard to
me, he directed my uncle to set aside twenty thousand pounds, to be
given me on my marriage, or failing that, on my twenty-fifth birthday.
In the meantime I was to be taken care of by my uncles; and he added
that my future husband, if he appeared, must be approved of by Uncle
Albert.
"Though jarred to find he would receive far less than he had hoped,
Uncle Robert was soon in a good temper, for their elder brother
informed Uncle Bob and Uncle Bendigo that he should divide the
fortune into three equal parts. Thus it came about that each received
about forty thousand pounds, while my inheritance was set aside. All
would have been well, no doubt, and I was coaxing my uncle round, for
Michael Pendean knew nothing about our affairs and remained wholly
ignorant that I should ever be worth a penny. It was a marriage of
purest love and he had four hundred a year of his own from the
business of the pilchard fishery, which we both deemed ample for our
needs.
"Then broke the war, on those awful days in August, and the face of the
world changed--I suppose forever."
She stopped again, rose, went to the sideboard, and poured herself out a
little water. Mark jumped up and took the glass jug from her hand.
"Rest now," he begged, but she sipped the water and shook her head.
"I will rest when you have gone," she answered; "but please come back
again presently if you can give me a gleam of hope."
"Be very sure of that, Mrs. Pendean."

She went back to her seat while he also sat down again. Then she
resumed.
"The war altered everything and created a painful breach between my
future husband and my Uncle Robert. The latter instantly volunteered
and rejoiced in the opportunity to seek adventure. He joined a cavalry
regiment and invited Michael to do the same; but my husband, though
no more patriotic man lives--I must speak still as though he lives, Mr.
Brendon--"
"Of course you must, Mrs.