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Fenton's Quest by M. E. (Mary Elizabeth) Braddon
page 41 of 604 (06%)
then left Brighton with the child and nurse. I was born not twenty miles
from this place, and I had a fancy for ending my days in my native
county; so I came down to this part of the world, and looked about me a
little, living in farm-house lodgings here and there, until I found this
cottage to let one day, and decided upon settling at Lidford. And now you
know the whole story of Marian's adoption, Mr. Fenton. How happy we have
been together, or what she has been to me since that time, I could never
tell you."

"The story does you credit, sir; and I honour you for your goodness,"
said Gilbert Fenton.

"Goodness, pshaw!" cried the Captain, impetuously; "it has been a mere
matter of self-indulgence on my part. The child made herself necessary to
me from the very first. I was a solitary man, a confirmed bachelor, with
every prospect of becoming a hard, selfish old fogey. Marian Nowell has
been the sunshine of my life!"

"You never made any farther discoveries about Mr. Nowell?"

"Never. I have sometimes thought, that I ought to have made some stronger
efforts to place myself in communication with him. I have thought this,
especially when brooding upon the uncertainties of my darling's future.
From the little Mrs. Nowell told me about her marriage, I had reason to
believe her husband's father must have been a rich man. He might have
softened towards his grandchild, in spite of his disapproval of the
marriage. I sometimes think I ought to have sought out the grandfather.
But, you see, it would have been uncommonly difficult to set about this,
in my complete ignorance as to who or what he was."

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