ne.

Ten months after she became a widow, Madeline's uncle died. Left alone
with her little child, and with no resources but her own efforts,
Madeline's mother struggled on, ever the object of the kind
watchfulness and unobtrusive care of John Arthur, who professed to
adore the child for the sake of the father, and through the baby
Madeline, gradually won his way in the mother's esteem. Mrs. Payne was
deeply grateful, and her mother's heart was touched by the devotion of
Arthur to her little child. So it came about that, after a time, she
gave him her hand, and all of her heart that was not buried with
Lionel. A little later she learned that her uncle was dead, and she
became mistress of a handsome fortune.

Soon came the knowledge that her husband's heart was not all gold, and
the suspicion, as well, that her uncle's will and its purport had long
been no secret to him. But, partly from force of habit, and partly
because he was not yet quiet hardened, John Arthur kept up his farce
of affection for the child. And while his wife awoke to a knowledge of
many of his short-comings, she always believed in his love for her
little one.

The two elements that were strongest in the nature of John Arthur were
selfishness and pride. From his youth up his idols had been gold and
self. Born into the world minus that "golden spoon" for which he
sighed in youth, and schemed in later years, he had ever felt towards
said world a half-fledged enmity. As he reached the age of manhood,
his young sister was formally adopted by the only surviving relatives
of the two; and becoming in due course of time and nature sole
possessor of a very nice little fortune, afterwards held her head very
high. Later, in consequence of some little indiscretions of her
brother at the time when he was set free in the world--the result of
the popular superstition held by him that "the world owed him a
living,"--she held herself aloof from and ignored him completely.

By degrees Mrs. Arthur's eyes became opened to the true character of
the man she had married. Moments she had of doubting, and then of
fearing that she wronged him too deeply, for her nature was a just
one. It was in one of these latter moods that she made her will,
before she had become aware that even his love for her little girl was
only a well acted lie; believing her secure of love and care during
his life, she made sure that, at his death, her darling should be
supplied with all that money