The Argosy — page 113: what you’re looking at

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

Eaina. 101 dient, on the fourth day from the death—were the tidings of their penniless state conveyed to Mrs. Raynor and the rest. How Charles had contrived to keep counsel he never knew. He was looked upon as the successor to Eagles’ Nest. Servants and others came to him perpetually for directions—Is this to be done, sir; is the other to be done ; treating him as the master. Mrs. Raynor received the news with incredulity, astonishment con- tending with disbelief. Alice burst into tears; Alfred went into a pas- sion. They talked foolishly at first, saying they would go to law: the newly-found will should be disputed ; the property flung into Chancery. The only two, capable of bringing reason to bear upon the matter, were Frank and Edina: and they might have been as bad as the rest, had the tidings only just burst upon them. They pointed out how worse than futile any opposition would be. Not a shadow of doubt could exist that the second will was perfectly correct and legal, and that the whole of the property belonged to George Atkinson. On the second day after Frank’s return from London, while the poor Major lay dead in the house, Charles received an official letter from Street the lawyer. It gave in detail the particulars already known, as connected with the new will, and stated that Mr. George Atkinson was then on his voyage to Europe ; with sundry other statements and hints. This letter Frank read aloud now. “You see,” he said, “even our own lawyer gives in. He says not a word about opposition. No, there’s no help for it; Eagles’ Nest must go from you. But I think old Aunt Atkinson ought to have been ashamed of herself.” ‘*She must have been dreadfully wicked,” sobbed Alice. One thing they did not tell Mrs. Raynor—that she could be made responsible for the money received (and spent) during the past twelve- month. The claim was not yet made; would not be until Mr. George Atkinson’s arrival ; time enough to tell her then. What their plans were to be, or where they could go, or how live, was the subject of many an anxious thought, as the days passed on. . Edina suggested this and that; but poor Mrs. Raynor and Alice shrunk from all. As yet they could not realize what the turning-out of Eagles’ Nest would be, and instinctively shunned the anticipation. But upon none did the blow fall so bitterly as upon Charles. He was suddenly flung from his lofty position on the height of a pinnacle, to its base. A few days ago he was an independent gentleman, an undergraduate at Oxford, the heir to Eagles’ Nest; now all these desirable accessories had melted away like icicles in the sunbeams. He must work for a living if he were to live; he must take his name off the college books, failing means to return to it; he must, for his mind’s best peace, forget that there was such a place as Eagles’ Nest. ~ Work for a living! How was he to do anything of the kind, che comicbooks.com