I can never forgive myself!"
"Money is a very good thing, Captain," answered Rupert, with a smile
that appeared to mean more than the tongue expressed--"a surprisingly
good thing is money! But you must not exaggerate Grace's illness,
which I dare say is merely constitutional, and will lead to nothing. I
hope your many voyages have produced their fruits?"
"And Lucy?" I resumed, disregarding his question concerning my own
success as an owner. "Where and how is she?"
"Miss Hardinge is in town--in her own--that is, in _our_
house--in Wall Street, though she goes to _the place_ in the
morning. No one who can, likes to remain among these hot bricks, that
has a pleasant country-house to fly to, and open to receive him. But I
forgot--I have supposed you to know what it is very likely you have
never heard?"
"I learned the death of Mrs. Bradfort while in Italy, and, seeing you
in black, at once supposed it was for her."
"Yes, that's just it. An excellent woman has been taken from us, and,
had she been my own mother, I could not have received greater
kindnesses from her. Her end, my dear Wallingford, was admitted by all
the clergy to be one of the most edifying known in the place for
years."
"And Mrs. Bradfort has left you her heir? It is now time to
congratulate you on your good fortune.
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