her words.

But a day or two afterwards he came to her with arguments of a very
different kind. He at any rate must go to Wharton immediately, in
reference to a letter of vital importance which he had received
from Sir Alured. The reader may perhaps remember that Sir Alured's
heir,--the heir to the title and property,--was a nephew for whom he
entertained no affection whatever. This Wharton had been discarded by
all the Whartons as a profligate drunkard. Some years ago Sir Alured
had endeavoured to reclaim the man, and had spent perhaps more money
than he had been justified in doing in the endeavour, seeing that,
as present occupier of the property, he was bound to provide for
his own daughters, and that at his death every acre must go to this
ne'er-do-well. The money had been allowed to flow like water for a
twelvemonth, and had done no good whatever. There had then been no
hope. The man was strong and likely to live,--and after a while
married a wife, some woman that he took from the very streets. This
had been his last known achievement, and from that moment not even
had his name been mentioned at Wharton. Now there came the tidings of
his death. It was said that he had perished in some attempt to cross
some glaciers in Switzerland;--but by degrees it appeared that the
glacier itself had been less dangerous than the brandy which he had
swallowed whilst on his journey. At any rate he was dead. As to that
Sir Alured's letter was certain. And he was equally certain that he
had left no son.

These tidings were quite as important to Mr. Wharton as to Sir
Alured,--more important to Everett Wharton than to either of them, as
he would inherit all after the death of those two old men. At this
moment he was away yachting with a friend, and even his address was
unknown. Letters for him were to be sent to Oban, and might, or might
not, reach him in the course of a month. But in a man of Sir Alured's
feelings, this catastrophe produced a great change. The heir to his
title and property was one whom he was bound to regard with affection
and almost with reverence,--if it were only possible for him to do
so. With his late heir it had been impossible. But Everett Wharton he
had always liked. Everett had not been quite all that his father and
uncle had wished. But his faults had been exactly those which would
be cured,--or would almost be made virtues,--by the possession of
a title and property. Distaste for a profession and aptitud