"
"Thought He preached remorse for sins before you reach pardon and
peace. But never mind religion--don't let's drag _that_ in. And leave
me alone. Don't talk. I tell you I want to think."
"Very well, dear. Only this one thing. Keep this before you. Now that
he's dead--"
"I've asked you to hold your tongue."
"And I will. But let me finish. However lofty you choose to look at
it, it can't be wrong to take the money now he's gone."
"I wish his money had gone with him. Look at it lofty or low--take it
or leave it--this cursed legacy reminds me of all I was trying to
forget."
XI
Full particulars of the disposition of Mr. Barradine's fortune had now
been published, and the world was admiringly talking about it.
The claims of the entire Petherick family would be once for all
satisfied. Mrs. Petherick and that young person who had been sent to
learn music at Vienna were each to receive as much as Mavis Dale;
three other Pethericks would get five hundred pounds apiece; still
more Pethericks would be dowered in a lesser degree. Then came the
ordinary servants, with legacies proportionate to terms of
service--everybody remembered, nobody left out in the cold. Then, with
nice lump sums of increasing magnitude, came a baker's dozen of
Barradine nephews, nieces, and second cousins; the Abbey domain was to
go to an elderly first cousin; and then, after bequests to various
charities, came the grand item that the local solicitor had in his
mind when he foretold a salvo of newspaper comment.
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