His mother is a widow, of a Massachusetts country family, a little timid, tremulous woman, who is always on pins and needles about her son.

She had some property herself, and married a Virginian gentleman of good estates.

He turned out, I believe, a very licentious personage, and made great havoc in their fortune.

Everything, or almost everything, melted away, including Mr.Hudson himself.

This is literally true, for he drank himself to death.