"Perhaps it is as well that you should know, Miss Bewery.

Of course, when all this sad trouble was made far worse by that second affair--the working-man's death, you know, I said to my husband that really one must do something, seeing that Dr.Ransford was so very, very obdurate and wouldn't speak.
And as money is nothing--at least as things go--to me or to Mr.Folliot, I insisted that he should offer a thousand pounds reward to have the thing cleared up.

He's a generous and open-handed man, and he agreed with me entirely, and put the thing in hand through his solicitors.

And nothing would please us more, my dear, than to have that thousand pounds claimed! For of course, if there is to be--as I suppose there is--a union between our families, it would be utterly impossible that any cloud could rest on Dr.Ransford, even if he is only your guardian.

My son's future wife cannot, of course--" Mary laid down her work again and for a full minute stared Mrs.Folliot in the face.
"Mrs.Folliot!" she said at last.