To her surprise she had a month or two later received an intimation
from the lawyer who managed her business that a friend had arranged to
pay the sum of a hundred pounds every quarter to her account, on
condition only that no inquiry whatever should be made as to his or
her identity. Mary Conway had thankfully accepted the gift, which had,
however, caused her intense wonderment and curiosity. So far as she
knew neither her father nor her husband had any relations who could
have afforded so handsome a gift. She knew that Colonel Vernon had
been most popular with his regiment, and the supposition at which she
finally arrived was that some young officer whom he had befriended in
difficulties had, on coming into a large property, determined
similarly to befriend the daughter of his former colonel.
Had she been alone in the world she would have declined to accept this
aid from an unknown benefactor, but for her son's sake she felt that
it would be wrong to do so. The idea that the money might come from
Herbert Penfold had once or twice occurred to her, only to be at once
dismissed, for had she really believed that it came from him she could
not, even for Ralph's sake, have accepted it. He had, as she believed,
quarreled with her altogether without cause, her letters had been
unanswered, and she considered the quarrel to have been simply a
pretext upon the part of Herbert to break off an engagement of which
he was tired.
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