Page:A strange, sad comedy (IA strangesadcomedy00seawiala).pdf/281

Rh ered a very important fact—which is,"—here he spoke with deliberate emphasis,—"that instead of Mr. Romaine possessing a large fortune, as the world has always supposed, he had invested everything he had in—annuities—which gave him a very large income—but he left but little behind him."

A kind of groan went round among the poor relations. Letty, who understood quickly what was meant, felt dazed; she did not know whether she was glad or sorry.

Chessingham exhibited some papers, showing, in Mr. Romaine's writing, the amounts of various annuities, which aggregated a magnificent income. Then came a list of his actual property, which consisted chiefly of the Shrewsbury place and the Virginia lands, but which were heavily mortgaged. His personal property was remarkably small; Mr. Romaine had always boasted his freedom from impedimenta. And then began the reading of the will. It was the same brief document that Chessingham and Miss Maywood had witnessed. Some of the nieces and nephews got a few thousand dollars. Chessingham got his douceur, Miss Maywood got the diamonds in a codicil witnessed by Bridge and Dodson, and Letty was