Grind, reluctantly as he yielded to these demands, believed it
wiser to pay them than to meet the exposure Martin had it in his
power to make. And so it went on, until, one day, to his inexpressible
relief, Grind read in the morning papers an account of the sudden and
violent death of his enemy. His sleep was sounder on the night that
followed than it had been for a long, long time.
Of Edward Claire, and his happy family--not happy merely from an
improved external condition, for the foundation of their happiness was
laid in a deeper ground--we have not much to relate.
When Claire brought to Fanny the title-deeds of the property which he
had recovered from Jasper, she pushed them back upon him, saying, as
she did so--
"Keep them, father--keep them. All is yours."
"No, my dear child," replied Claire, seriously, yet with tenderness
and emotion, "all is not mine. All is yours. This property, through
a wise Providence, has come into your possession. I have no right to
it."
"If it is mine, father," said Fanny, "have I not a right to do with it
what I please?"
"In a certain sense you have."
"Then I give it all to you--you, my more than father!"
"For such a noble tender, my dear child, I thank you in the very
inmost of my heart. But I cannot accept of it, Fanny.
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