They would all, except Theobald, I believe, have cut
me downright if they had not believed me to know something they wanted
to know themselves, and might have some chance of learning from me-
for it was plain I had been in some way concerned with the making of
their sister's will. None of them suspected what the ostensible nature
of this would be, but I think they feared Miss Pontifex was about to
leave money for public uses. John said to me in his blandest manner
that he fancied he remembered to have heard his sister say that she
thought of leaving money to found a college for the relief of dramatic
authors in distress; to this I made no rejoinder, and I have no
doubt his suspicions were deepened.
When the end came, I got Miss Pontifex's solicitor to write and tell
her brothers and sisters how she had left her money: they were not
unnaturally furious, and went each to his her separate home without
attending the funeral, and without paying any attention to myself.
This was perhaps the kindest thing they could have done by me, for
their behaviour made me so angry that I became almost reconciled to
Alethea's will out of pleasure at the anger it had aroused.
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