Roxy Hastings — page 222: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ROXY HASTINGS, 213 said the mother, interrupting her. “I thought it better not to do so under the circumstances. Let her think him dead. He is at least dead to her.” “Perhaps it is best. But she must learn the truth at some time if she returns home. Would it not be better—” “Do as you choose. I am not competent to decide, and perhaps your young years make you a better judge of what : right than I am. I am sure you area true friend of ucy.” “lam sure that I am,” replied Mary, with tears. ‘I will take a few days to reflect, for thisis a very important matter, and I will see you again before sending the let- ters.’ Mrs. Holden thanked her warmly, and they parted. CHAPTER XLI. GENERAL SURPRISE, Charles Lee had ceased to make a secret of his great wealth soon after Roxana came on her second visit, and he had done something else which better displayed his true character. : “You must not imagine,” he said, when, in family coun- cil, he had disclosed the amount and the source of his riches to his astonished relations, ‘“ that I call this property allmine. Itis true that father gave me a deed of the Pennsylvania land, as about an equivalent for what he had given to each of the other children.” “Then I don’t see why it is not all yours,” said the mother, “and there’s no fear of any of us wanting anything as long as you have it.” ‘‘Legally it is all mine. But I am sure that father would never have made such a division of his property if he had known its value. Suppose Alf had had this woodland—” **T’d have sold it to the first man that offered me a hun: dred dollars for it,” said Alf. “Which I came precious near doing myself. But I mean to ask: suppose you had kept it, and made millions out of it, as I have done, should I have been satisfied without a good share of it? I don’t believe I should, though I might not have mentioned it any more than you have.” “T really don’t think it would ever have occurred ‘to me that I had any claims,” said Alf, laughing, ‘‘but since you EComichoo cS (E(0)