letter from the family lawyer, giving her such details of the will as it
was necessary that she should know, and now she longed to ask questions,
to have her belongings made plain to her, and to realise her wealth. She
had brilliant prospects; and yet, through it all, there was a sense of
loneliness that nearly killed her. Would it not have been much better if
her husband would have lived, and still worshipped her, and still allowed
her to read poetry to him? But she had read no poetry to him after that
affair of Messrs. Harter & Benjamin.

This has, or will have, but little to do with these days, and may be
hurried on through the twelve, or even twenty-four, months which followed
the death of poor Sir Florian. The question of the heirship, however, was
very grave; and early in the month of May, Lady Eustace was visited by her
husband's uncle, Bishop Eustace, of Bobsborough. The bishop had been the
younger brother of Sir Florian's father, was at this time about fifty,
very active and very popular, and was one who stood high in the world,
even among bishops. He suggested to his niece-in-law that it was very
expedient that, during her coming hour of trial, she should not absent
herself from her husband's family, and at last persuaded her to take up
her residence at the palace at Bobsborough till such time as the event
should be over. Lady Eustace was taken to the palace, and in due time a
son was born. John, who was now the uncle of the heir, came down, and,
with the frankest good-humour, declared that he would devote himself to
the little head of the family. He had been left as guardian, and the
management of the great family estates was to be in his hands. Lizzie had
read no poetry to him, and he had never liked her, and the bishop did not
like her, and the ladies of the bishop's family disliked her very much,
and it was thought by them that the dean's people--the Dean of Bobsborough
was Lizzie's uncle--were not very fond of Lizzie since Lizzie had so
raised herself in the world as to want no assistance from them. But still