The Argosy — page 358: what you’re looking at

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

344 A Secret of the Sea. off than he—Van Duren—had any idea of. “‘ House property? or, land, chiefly, I suppose ?” he said, in a casual, off-hand kind of way. ‘Not a bit of it,” said the old man. ‘I don’t own a single house, nor an acre of land. No, sir, my property is all in scrip and shares— in good sound investments, every penny of it. And the beauty of it is—ech ! ech !—that not even my own boy has any idea what I’m worth —what he and his sister will drop in for when the old man’s under the turf. I’ve always kept ’em both in the dark about my money matters— and the best way too. They might want me out of the way, they might wish me dead, if they knew everything. No, no! I’ve kept my own counsel. I’ve speculated and speculated, and nobody but my broker and myself has been a bit the wiser.” Mr. Van Duren began to feel quite an affectionate regard for his lodger—leaving out of the question his lodger’s daughter. ‘¢*Then Miss Byrne is an heiress without knowing it?” he said. ‘¢ Mum’s the word,” chuckled the old man, as he clutched Van Duren by the sleeve. ‘I’m telling you what I’ve always kept a secret from them ; but there ‘ll be thirty thousand between ‘em when I go. Thirty thousand : not a single penny less!” Van Duren’s colour came and went. Miriam, then, would have a fortune of fifteen thousand pounds, respecting which, at present, she knew nothing! Would not the wisest thing he could do be to propose to her and win her consent to become his wife before she became aware of the golden future in store for her? Afterwards it might be too late: she might regard him with altogether different eyes when she knew that her dowry would be fifteen thousand pounds. “A noble legacy, my dear sir: a truly noble legacy!” said Van Duren, warmly. ‘‘ And were I in your place I should not lose an un- necessary hour in making my testamentary arrangements. You may depend on it that your mind will feel more settled and easy when you have made everything secure, and put your wishes beyond the pos- sibility of dispute.” “FEgad! I'll take your advice; and if you'll send that lawyer of yours on Tuesday, I'll have the job got out of hand at once. I don't suppose I shall live a day less for having made my will—eh ? ” ‘* Not you, my dear sir—not you. There are many pleasant days in store for you yet. You are as tough as a bit of seasoned oak.” “ Aye, aye. It’s not always the youngest ones that are the strongest. Why shouldn’t I live to be a hundred ? ” “ What a noble girl is that daughter of yours, Mr. Byrne!” “A good girl, sir—a very good girl, though it is I who say it.” ‘‘T have never met anyone in my life whom I have learnt to admire so much in so short a time.” “Ah! poor Pussy will feel it when her old father goes. It preys on my mind sometimes when I think of it. What is to become of her, COMiCcOoOolkxs.conn