"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.
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