upon your liberality."

"Yes, you have, boy--yes, you have," replied Mr. Frampton, "the
strongest claim that can be; you have ~405~~ saved me from falling a
victim to the worst disease a man can suffer under--you have saved me
from becoming a cold-hearted, soured misanthrope; you have given me
something to love, some pure unselfish interest in life. And now we
are on this subject, I may as well tell you all my plans and wishes in
regard to you: I have no soul belonging to me, not a relation in the
wide world that I am aware of, and I determined, from the time when
I first sent you to college, that if you conducted yourself well
and honourably, I would make you my heir.--Don't interrupt me," he
continued, seeing that I was about to speak, "let me finish what I have
to say, and then you shall tell me whether you approve of it. You not
only came up to, but far surpassed, my most sanguine expectations, and
I saw therefore no reason to alter my original intentions. But it is
stupid work for a man to wait till all the best days of his life are
passed, without funds sufficient to render him independent, to feel all
his energies cramped, his talents dwarfed, and his brightest
aspirations checked, by a servile dependence on the will and caprice of
another--waiting for dead men's shoes--umph! and so, Frank, as I feel
pretty tough and hearty for sixty-five, and may live, if it please God,
another ten or fifteen years to plague you, it's my wish to make
you your own master at once, and I'll either assist you to enter any
profession you please, or if you like to settle down into a country
gentleman, and can pick up a nice wife anywhere, I can allow you one
thousand pounds a year to begin with, and yet have more than I shall
know how to spend during the rest of my days in the land of the living.
For my own part, this last plan would give me the greatest satisfaction,
for I should like to see you comfortably married and settled before I
die. Now, what do you say to it? Umph!"

What did I say?--what could I say? I got up, and having once again
pressed his hands warmly between my own, began pacing the room, quite
overcome by this unexpected liberality, and the conflicting nature of
my own feelings. But two short days ago, and such an offer would have
been--as I then fondly imagined--the only thing wanting to secure my
happiness; possessed of such ample means of supporting her, I could
at once have gone boldly to Mr. Vernor, and demand