My father greatly doubted whether being heir-at-law would
prove to avail him anything, since it was likely that so distant a
relation would have made a will in favour of some nearer connection
on his wife's or mother's side. He was very vague about Chantry
House, only knowing that it was supposed to be a fair property, and
he would hardly consent to take Griffith with him by the Western
Royal Mail, warning him and all the rest of us that our expectations
would be disappointed.
Nevertheless we looked out the gentlemen's seats in Paterson's Road
Book, and after much research, for Chantry House lay far off from
the main road, we came upon--'Chantry House, Earlscombe, the seat of
James Winslow, Esquire, once a religious foundation; beautifully
situated on a rising ground, commanding an extensive prospect--'
'A religious foundation!' cried Emily. 'It will be a dear delicious
old abbey, all Gothic architecture, with cloisters and ruins and
ghosts.'
'Ghosts!' said my mother severely, 'what has put such nonsense into
your head?'
Nevertheless Emily made up her mind that Chantry House would be
another Melrose, and went about repeating the moonlight scene in the
Lay of the Last Minstrel whenever she thought no one was there to
laugh at her.
My father and Griffith returned with the good news that there was no
mistake. Chantry House was really his own, with the estate
belonging to it, reckoned at 5000 pounds a year, exclusive of a
handsome provision to Miss Selby, the niece of the late Mrs.
Pages:
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62