She folded her slim white hands on her knees and
spoke with a simple directness.
"Mr. Glenarm, there is something I wish to say to
you, but I can say it only if we are to be friends. I
have feared you might look upon us here as enemies."
"That is a strong word," I replied evasively.
"Let me say to you that I hope very much that nothing
will prevent your inheriting all that Mr. Glenarm
wished you to have from him."
"Thank you; that is both kind and generous," I said
with no little surprise.
"Not in the least. I should be disloyal to your grandfather,
who was my friend and the friend of my family,
if I did not feel kindly toward you and wish you well.
And I must say for my niece-"
"Miss Devereux." I found a certain pleasure in pronouncing
her name.
"Miss Devereux is very greatly disturbed over the
good intentions of your grandfather in placing her name
in his will. You can doubtless understand how uncomfortable
a person of any sensibility would be under the
circumstances. I'm sorry you have never met her. She
is a very charming young woman whose happiness does
not, I may say, depend on other people's money."
She had never told, then! I smiled at the recollection
of our interviews.
"I am sure that is true, Sister Theresa."
"Now I wish to speak to you about a matter of some
delicacy. It is, I understand perfectly, no business of
mine how much of a fortune Mr. Glenarm left. But
this matter has been brought to my attention in a disagreeable
way. Your grandfather established this
school; he gave most of the money for these buildings.
I had other friends who offered to contribute, but he insisted
on doing it all. But now Mr. Pickering insists
that the money-or part of it at least-was only a loan."
"Yes; I understand."
"Mr. Pickering tells me that he has no alternative in
the matter; that the law requires him to collect this
money as a debt due the estate."
"That is undoubtedly true, as a general proposition.
He told me in New York that he had a claim against
you for fifty thousand dollars."
"Yes; that is the amount. I wish to say to you, Mr.
Glenarm, that if it is necessary I can pay that amount."
"Pray do not trouble about it, Sister Theresa. There
are a good many things about my grandfather's affairs
that I don't understand, but I'm not going to see an
old friend of his swindled. There's more in all this
than appears. My grandfather seems to have mislaid
or lost most of his assets before he died. And yet he
had the reputation of being a pretty cautious business
man."
"The impression is abroad, as you must know, that
your grandfather concealed his fortune before his
death. The people hereabouts believe so; and Mr. Pickering,
the executor, has been unable to trace it."