The only one of her children who survived
childhood was educated in England, treated as his uncle's heir, and
came to Belforest for shooting. Thus it was that he had fallen in
love with Farmer Gould's pretty daughter, and as it seemed, by her
mother's contrivance, though without her father's consent, had made
her his wife.
The wrath of Mr. Barnes was implacable. He cast off the favourite
nephew as entirely as he had cast off the despised niece, and
deprived him of all the means he had been led to look on as his
right. The young man had nothing of his own but an estate in the
small island of San Ildefonso, of very little value, and some of his
former friends made interest to obtain a vice-consulship for him at
the Spanish town. Then, after a few years, both husband and wife
died, leaving this little orphan to the care of her grandfather, who
had written to Mr. Barnes on her father's death, but had heard
nothing from him, and had too much honest pride to make any further
application.
"My little cousin," said Caroline, "the first I ever knew. Pray
bring her to see me, and let her stay with me long enough for me to
know her."
The old man began to prepare her for the child's being shy and wild,
though perhaps her aunt was too particular with her, and expected too
much.
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