, I have to explain
certain family matters. The squire's wife, your maternal grandmother,
was a rich heiress. Part of her money was settled on her to descend to
her children by reversion upon her death. What she herself possessed she
bequeathed to them in reversion likewise to their children. Thus at your
maternal grandmother's death, your mother and your aunt inherited money
to use as their own, and the interest of money tied fast in reversion
to their children (in case of marriage) after their death. Your
grandfather, as your natural guardian, has left the annual interest of
your money to accumulate, and now you are of age he hands it to you, as
you see, without much delay. Thus you become this day the possessor of
seventy thousand pounds, respecting the disposal of which I am here
to take your orders. Ahem!--as to the remaining property of your
mother's--the sum held by her for her own use, I mean, it devolved
to her husband, your father, who, it is probable, will furnish you an
account of it--ah!--at his leisure--ah! um! And now, in addition,
Mr. Harry, I have the squire's commands to speak to you as a man of
business, on what may be deemed a delicate subject, though from the
business point of view no peculiar delicacy should pertain to it. Your
grandfather will settle on you estates and money to the value of twenty
thousand pounds per annum on the day of your union with a young lady in
this district, Miss Janet Ilchester. He undertakes likewise to provide
her pin-money. Also, let me observe, that it is his request--but he
makes no stipulation of it that you will ultimately assume the name of
Beltham, subscribing yourself Harry Lepel Richmond Beltham; or, if it
pleases you, Richmond-Beltham, with the junction hyphen. Needless to
say, he leaves it to your decision. And now, Mr. Harry, I have done, and
may most cordially congratulate you on the blessings it has pleased a
kind and discerning Providence to shower on your head.'

None so grimly ironical as the obsequious! I thought of Burgin's
'discerning' providence (he spoke with all professional sincerity) in
after days.

On the occasion I thought of nothing but the squire's
straight-forwardness, and grieved to have to wound him. Janet helped me.
She hinted with a bashfulness, quite new to her, that I must go through
some ceremony. Guessing what it was, I saluted her on the cheek. The
squire observed that a kiss of that sort might as well have been planted
on her ba