At the same time it must be admitted,
that Mr. Heatherstone having obtained possession of Arnwood, rankled,
no doubt, in the minds of both the brothers, and every act now, on the
part of him or his family, was viewed in a false medium. But our
feelings are not always at our control, and Edward was naturally
impetuous, and Humphrey so much attached, and so much alarmed at his
brother's danger, that he was even more excited. The blow fell doubly
heavy, as it appeared that at the very same time Patience had rejected
his brother, and taken possession of their property, which had been
held by the family for centuries. What made the case more annoying
was, that explanation, if there was any to offer on either side, was,
under present circumstances, almost impossible.
Soon after Clara left him, Humphrey returned to his brother's room. He
found him awake and talking to Oswald. Ardently pressing his brother's
hand, Edward said--
"My dear Humphrey, I shall soon be well now, and able, I trust, to
quit this house. What I fear is, that some explanation will be asked
for by the intendant, not only relative to my sisters having left us,
but also upon other points. This is what I wish to avoid without
giving offense. I do not think that the intendant is so much to blame
in having obtained my property, as he does not know that a Beverley
existed; but I can not bear to have any further intimacy with him,
especially after what has taken place between me and his daughter.
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