rose comes into a fortune.
ben and his friend had a fair passage from liverpool, and were equally pleased to set foot on american soil. by this time they had become excellent friends. the cuban, having no near relatives, was surprised to find how much interest he felt in his young ward.
"well, ben," he said, "shall we first attend to your business, or that of the young ladies whom your late employer has cheated out of their rightful inheritance?"
"my business can wait, mr. novarro. let us attend to the last."
"do you remember the office of mr. codicil—that was the name of the trustee, was it not?"
"yes, sir. i can guide you there without delay."
"then, after we are fairly established in our hotel, we will go to see him."
[297]
meanwhile there was great despondency in the modest home of the beauforts. to be deprived of her pupils without just cause was indeed a grievous misfortune, and, gentle as she was, rose could not think of it without exasperation. though she could not at first understand from whom the blow came, reflection satisfied her that miss arethusa jayne was her enemy and had wrought this mischief. her motive rose could not penetrate, not being in the secret of miss jayne's admiration for mr. randall. to make matters worse, her constant friend, miss wilmot, was absent from the city, at some springs in virginia, and was not expected home for some weeks to come. she applied for a position in answer to an advertisement, but when called upon for references her heart sank within her, as she reflected that the ladies who had recently employed her would hardly speak in her favor.
"what shall we do, addie?" she asked, despondently. "i can't get new pupils, and i must do something. i don't like to go back to the old business of making vests."
[298]
"don't do that, at any rate, rose; i am sure you can do better than that."
"i wish i knew what."
"suppose you go and see mr. codicil."
"he might think i wished him to give me money."
"no; ask him to use his influence to obtain you music-pupils."
rose brightened at the suggestion.
"i believe i will follow your advice, addie. it seems to me good."
"and if that doesn't do any good, write to miss wilmot, and ask her advice. you can always refer to her."
"why, addie, i never gave you credit for such wise counsel. your words have inspired me with new cheerfulness. i will go to mr. codicil to-morrow morning."
half an hour before the arrival of rose beaufort at the lawyer's office, ben and mr. novarro entered.
"can i see mr. codicil?" asked ben.
the clerk said, doubtfully, noting ben's youthful appearance, and judging that his business could not be of great importance:
[299]
"i will see. what name shall i mention?"
"you may say that i come from major grafton."
this message brought an immediate invitation to enter the lawyer's sanctum.
the old man regarded him with considerable surprise as he entered.
"i thought you were in europe, philip," he said. "is your guardian with you?"
"i have just come from europe, mr. codicil," answered ben. "major grafton is not with me."
"how does it happen that you have left him? you have not run away, have you?"
"yes, sir; i felt obliged to run away."
"may i ask why?" demanded the lawyer, searchingly.
"because i was not willing to aid major grafton in a scheme of fraud."
mr. codicil pricked up his ears.
"proceed, young man," he said. "this is becoming interesting."
"you called me philip grafton, and this is the name major grafton wished me to assume, but it is not my real name."
[300]
"go on, go on!"
"my real name is ben baker. major grafton met me in this city, and engaged me to travel with him as his private secretary. he gave me the name of philip grafton, because, he said, i looked like his only son, bearing that name, who died abroad."
"the old rascal!"
"i supposed this was true, and saw no objection to the plan."
"can you tell me what became of the boy whose name you assumed?" asked mr. codicil, eagerly.
"yes, sir; he is dead."
"poor fellow! where did he die?"
"in italy, last year."
"and his rascally guardian, concealing this from me, has drawn the income of his property regularly for his own use. now tell me how you came to learn all this."
ben gave the explanation clearly, and recited the steps taken by major grafton to keep him from divulging the secret.
"it was a bold game," said the lawyer; "but, thanks to your information, it has failed. [301] i shall at once telegraph to major grafton that his guardianship has ceased, and i will send over an agent to obtain the necessary proof of the boy's death."
at this moment a clerk entered.
"there is a young lady who desires to see you, mr. codicil."
"did she give her name?"
"miss beaufort."
"send her in at once. she could not have come at a more fitting time. my young friend, go into the little room adjoining, and wait till i summon you."
rose beaufort entered the lawyer's presence with a grave expression on her face.
"i hope, mr. codicil, you will excuse my troubling you with a visit."
"so far from troubling me, i am very glad to see you. what can i do for you?"
"i am in trouble, and wish your advice."
"proceed."
rose unfolded her story, and concluded by asking mr. codicil if he would exert his influence toward obtaining her some pupils in music.
[302]
the lawyer's eyes twinkled behind his spectacles.
"i hardly know what to say to that request," he answered.
"i did not suppose you would be prejudiced against me by mrs. tilton's false and groundless accusations," said rose, with a troubled air.
"i am not. that is not the point. i am only questioning the expediency of your teaching at all."
"but i know of no better way of earning a livelihood."
"still, it is not customary for wealthy young ladies to take pupils."
"i don't understand you, mr. codicil," said rose, bewildered.
"then i will no longer keep you in suspense. your poor cousin, philip, is dead, and you inherit your grandfather's fortune—that is, you, your sister, and brother."
"when did poor philip die?" asked rose, unaffectedly shocked. "it must have been very sudden."
"on the contrary, he died last year."
[303]
"last year! how happens it, then, that we did not know of it before?"
"because there has been a wicked scheme to defraud you of the inheritance. ben, come here."
ben entered, and the story was soon told. of course it need not be repeated.
"now, miss beaufort, if you insist on taking pupils, i will do what i can to procure you some," said the lawyer.
"if i take them it will be without compensation," answered rose, smiling. "can you tell me how soon we may expect to come into our property? i ask, because we are near the end of our money."
"it will take perhaps two months to obtain legal proof of philip's death, but that will not inconvenience you. i will advance you whatever money you require in the meantime."
"you are very kind. if you could let me have twenty dollars——"
"you are very modest," said the lawyer, smiling. "suppose we say two hundred?"
"two hundred!" ejaculated rose.
[304]
"i think you will be able to find a use for it," said the lawyer. "remember, though i don't want to encourage you in extravagance, that is less than two weeks' income."
there was great joy in the beaufort household when rose carried home the great news, though it was mingled with sorrow for the untimely fate of poor philip.
