Lady Ann thought herself a good woman because she
never felt interest enough to be spiteful like sir
Wilton; yet, very strangely, not knowing in herself
what repentance meant, she judged him capable of doing
her the wrong of atoning to his first wife for his
neglect of her, by being good to her child! Thinking
over her talk with Barbara, she could not, after all,
feel certain that Richard knew, or that he had incited
Barbara to take his part. But in any case it
was better to get rid of him! It was dangerous
to have him in the house! He might be spending
his nights in trumping up evidence! At any moment
he might appeal to sir Wilton as his father!
But at the worst, he would be unable to prove the thing
right off, and if her husband would but act like a
man, they might impede the attempt beyond the possibility
of its success!
One comfort was, that, she was all but confident,
the child was not already baptized when stolen from
Mortgrange; neither were such as would steal children
likely to have them baptized; therefore the God who
would not allow the unbaptized to lie in his part
of the cemetery, would never favour his succession
to the title and estate of Mortgrange! The fact
must have its weight with Providence!—whom
lady Ann always regarded us a good churchman:
he would never take the part of one that had not been
baptized! Besides, the fellow was sure to turn
out a socialist, or anarchist, or positivist, or radical,
or something worse! She would dispute his identity
to the last, and assert his imposture beyond it!
Her duty to society demanded that she should not give
in!
Suddenly she remembered the description her husband
had given her of the ugliness of the infant:
this man was decidedly handsome! Then she remembered
that sir Wilton had told her of a membrane between
certain of his fingers—horrible creature:
she must examine the impostor!
Arthur was very moody at dinner: his mother feared
some echo of the same report as caused her own anxiety
had reached him, and took the first opportunity of
questioning him. But neither of lady Ann’s
sons had learned such faith in their mother as to
tell her their troubles. Arthur would confess
to none. She in her turn was far too prudent to
disclose what was in her mind: the folly of his
youth might take the turn of an unthinking generosity!
the notion of an elder brother might even be welcome
to him!
In another generation no questions would be asked!
Many estates were in illegal possession! There
was a claim superior to the legal! Theirs was
a moral claim!
CHAPTER XXXVII.
LADY ANN AND RICHARD.
Copyrights
There & Back from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.
