Pride and Prudence CHAPTER 10.
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On Monday, true to their promise, the strangers came again, and paid over the balance of five thousand dollars to Mrs. Este. Under their continued and kind direction, she invested the whole of it in safe stocks, yielding an interest of at least six percent, thus securing an annual income of six hundred dollars a year. These true friends urged her to reserve at least five hundred dollars for present application, in elevating her circumstances to a comfortable and more respectable condition; but she said she preferred waiting until a semi-annual dividend would be declared on the stock, which would take place in three months, interest already due having been included in the purchase. Still not satisfied, they finally insisted on making her an advance of five hundred dollars on the accounts they had agreed to collect for her in the west. After closing up all their business with her, and making her the advance just named, they left the city with more pleasant feelings than had ever warmed their hearts; not, however, until they had given Mr. Osmond, the lawyer, a hint, that on their return a legal investigation would be had of his conduct as Mrs. Este's administrator Mr. Hunter.
It now became a serious question in the mind of Mrs. Este, whether any good would arise from letting her sister know of the extent of her good fortune. She was not disposed tosquander it herself in mere show and extravagance, nor was she at all willing that Mrs. Ashton should be allowed that privilege. But it did not rest with her to keep the secret, as will be seen.
On Monday night George Ashton came home from the store, and exclaimed as soon as he entered, in an excited voice —
"Aunt Este is rich again!"
"What is that?" said Mrs. Ashton, springing to her feet.
"Why, two of uncle Este's insolvent debtors are here, and they have just paid aunt ten thousand dollars, and I heard one of them, a Mr. Flathers, say today, that he could easily get five thousand more for her, in the West, out of her desperate claims. He says her building lots will be worth twenty thousand dollars in two years, if property increases in value in the western section of the city as fast as it has for the last five years. He also says that he is determined, when he returns, to have the affairs of the administrator investigated, and has no doubt but that he can be made to disgorge at least twenty thousand more."
"Heaven help us!" exclaimed Mrs. Ashton, excited and almost breathless. "What is going to happen? Jane, come, put up your work, there'll be no more cause for slaving for a dollar or two a week."
"The same cause as ever, mother," said Jane, quietly, though her cheeks were flushed, and her voice slightly trembled in spite of her effort to be calm.
"Are you crazy, Jane? Do you think Mary will allow us to remain in this wretched state — and she rich. You are always full of strange notions."
"Mother," said George, in a quick, excited voice, "We have had our day, and now aunt Este's time has come. I little doubt, but that she will act towards us, a more natural part, than we did towards her. But we have no right to expect anything; and I for one want nothing. She has four children, and if she has toiled so long for them, without touching one of her building lots, when the sale of them would have made her comfortable for years, there is little doubt but she will at once invest the money she receives, for the use of her children. Indeed, I understood Mr. Flathers to say, that stocks to the amount of the whole ten thousand dollars had been purchased at her request, although he had strongly urged her to retain five hundred dollars for immediate use."
"Foolish woman!" said Mrs. Ashton, in a tone of profound disappointment, throwing herself upon a chair, and swinging her body backwards and forwards, her mind in a state of deep dejection and mortification.
Jane kept on with her work as usual, though her hand trembled so that she could hardly hold her needle, and her face burned as if she had been sitting near a large fire. No one had spoken since the last remark of Mrs. Ashton, when a slight knock at the door was followed by the entrance of Mrs. Este and William. It was the first time the latter had ever paid a visit to his aunt and cousins.
Jane dropped her work, and George was on his feet in a moment; neither of them spoke until William came forward and offered his hand to George, which was immediately taken. Each hand tightened in the grasp of the other, with a feeling of instant regard.
"We will hereafter be friends, George," said William. "We have kept aloof too long. And, aunt, how do you do? And you, Jane?" offering his hand in turn to each with a frank and earnest manner.
"We do bad enough, William," said Mrs. Ashton, with a solemn countenance, and a long drawn sigh. "Bad enough! Hardly able to keep soul and body together."
"O mother, don't say that!" said George and Jane in the same instant.
"We have no particular cause of complaint, William," continued Jane. "Things are not as they used to be with us; and, it is, perhaps, as well."
"The girl must be crazy!" said Mrs. Ashton, instantly excited. "It is not as well for us!"
"All things, sister, are under the direction of an especial Providence, and are for our good," said Mrs. Este. "Jane is right. Adversity has done much for her. May she come out of it like gold purified in the fire."
"We owe you much, dear aunt," said George, warmly, "in teaching us rightly to receive the lessons of adversity. May you be rewarded a hundred fold."
"The best and only reward that we ever receive for doing what is just and merciful, is a consciousness of having done our duty; in this consciousness, there is a delight of which those who neglect their duty, can have no conception. It seems to me, that the happiness of Heaven cannot consist in anything, but the delight of being useful."
"You are always preaching up some new fangled notion, Mary. I, for one, cannot understand you half of the time. I can see happiness only in the gratification of desire," said Mrs. Ashton.
"You can never be happy, Anna, for desire will always keep far in advance of possession. But I have something else to talk of tonight. We both live in small, uncomfortable houses, and are in consequence subjected to many inconveniences. I propose that we rent a large house together, and each occupy a respective part. I have found such a house nearer the center of the city than this, and at the moderate rent of one hundred and fifty dollars a year. You now pay eighty and we the same. The arrangement I speak of, besides being much pleasanter, will be something cheaper. What do you think of it?"
"In what street is the house, Mary?"
"In Avalon Street near the church."
"At what rent did you say?"
"One hundred and fifty dollars."
"It must be a poor kind of a house, to rent for only a hundred and fifty dollars in that neighborhood," returned Mrs. Ashton, with something of contempt in her manner.
"It is quite a comfortable house for people in our circumstances," Mrs. Este said, a little coldly.
"In our circumstances! Indeed! and I wonder if we are not as good as anybody, and as fit to live in a genteel house as anybody?"
"If we have the ability to pay for it," replied Mrs. Este, in the same cold voice.
"Which house is it? I know everyone along there," Mrs. Ashton said —
"The old brick house where Mr. Baker lived many years ago."
"O dear! That old looking affair. Goodness! I'd rather stay where I am."
"Just as you like, Anna. I thought that it would be agreeable to you, especially as it would be a desirable change on account of George, who how has to walk a long distance to his business. But if you have any, even the smallest objection — it settles the matter at once."
"I have no objection to the arrangement in itself. That I think a very good one. But I'm sure we might afford a much better style than you propose. Why can't we get a house at three hundred? For that rent, we might make a very genteel appearance."
"Can you pay one hundred and fifty dollars a year for rent?" asked Mrs. Este, in a serious voice, steadily regarding her sister as she spoke.
"I expect so. Can't we George?"
"Not unless my salary were raised. It requires all of sister's care and economy, to make our income meet our present expenses," George replied.
"Well, I'm sure we could do it. I'm in favor, therefore, of going into a genteel house, if we do move."
"As to mere gentility, I am not prepared to look at that just now," Mrs. Este said, calmly. "The house I speak of is quite genteel enough for people in our circumstances; more than that, it is large and comfortable. But if you do not wish to go into it, that settles the matter; I will say no more about it. As to paying double the rent I now do, that is altogether out of the question.
"I see no objection to the house," Jane ventured to say.
"No, I don't expect that you do. You see no objection to anything your aunt proposes!" said Mrs. Ashton.
The blood mounted instantly to the cheek of William Este, at this allusion to his mother, by one for whose character he had a deep seated contempt — by one whose conduct, as a near relative, had been almost unpardonable. George Ashton saw the effect produced on the mind of his cousin, with a feeling of pain and mortification. He instantly said —
"I cannot but think and feel with Jane in this matter. As to mere appearance — we have nothing to do with that. Let those who can afford to do so, study gentility. We have other matters to look after. For your constant kindness towards us, aunt Este," he continued, "let me again express my sincere gratitude. For myself, the proposal you make meets my warmest approval. Brought thus intimately together, we shall know each other better. Our families have been too long separated; for which, I blush to own, we have been entirely to blame. Let this separation no longer continue."
"As to that, George," said his mother with some excitement of manner, "you may say what you please. But let me tell you one thing, I am not going to move into that old dump of a house. If I go from here, I go into something more decent than that.
"Which, of course, settles the whole matter," remarked Mrs. Este. "So, now, let us change the subject."
The effort to change the theme of discourse was a hard one. Conversation dragged heavily. After a short time, Mrs. Este and William went home, not, however, until the cousins had perfectly understood and appreciated each other. From that hour, they were fast friends.
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