A day later came Alexander. With
him there had been no means of communicating, and a newspaper
paragraph informed him of his father's death. Appearing in rough
tweeds, with a felt hat, he inspired more curiosity than respect.
Both brothers greeted Piers cordially; both were curt and formal
with the widow, but, for appearances' sake, accepted a cramped
lodging in the cottage. Piers kept very much to himself until the
funeral was over; he was then invited by Daniel to join a conference
in what had been his father's room. Here the man of law (Jerome's
name for him) expounded the posture of things; with all
professional, and some personal, tact and delicacy. Will there was
certainly none; Daniel, in the course of things, would apply for
letters of administration. The estate, it might be said, consisted
of certain shares in a prosperous newspaper, an investment which
could be easily realised, and of a small capital in consols; to the
best of the speaker's judgment, the shares were worth about six
thousand pounds, the consols amounted to nearly fifteen hundred.
This capital sum, the widow and the sons would divide in legal
proportion. Followed technicalities, with conversation. Mrs. Otway
kept dignified silence; Piers, in the background, sat with eyes
sunk.
"I think," remarked the solicitor gravely and firmly, "that,
assembled as we are in privacy, I am only doing my duty in making
known that the deceased had in view (as I know from hints in his
correspondence) to assist his youngest son substantially, as soon as
that son appeared likely to benefit by such pecuniary aid.
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