his fear that
the widow was not so splendidly provided for as Mr. Gascoigne, nay, as the
baronet himself had expected; and only at last, after some previous vague
reference to large claims on Grandcourt, he disclosed the prior relations which,
in the unfortunate absence of a legitimate heir, had determined all the
splendour in another direction.
    The Rector was deeply hurt, and remembered, more vividly than he had ever
done before, how offensively proud and repelling the manners of the deceased had
been towards him - remembered also that he himself, in that interesting period
just before the arrival of the new occupant at Diplow, had received hints of
former entangling dissipations, and an undue addiction to pleasure, though he
had not foreseen that the pleasure which had probably, so to speak, been swept
into private rubbish-heaps, would ever present itself as an array of live
caterpillars, disastrous to the green meat of respectable people. But he did not
make these retrospective thoughts audible to Sir Hugo, or lower himself by
expressing any indignation on merely personal grounds, but behaved like a man of
the world who had become a conscientious clergyman. His first remark was -
    »When a young man makes his will in health, he usually counts on living a
long while. Probably Mr. Grandcourt did not believe that this will would ever
have its present effect.« After a moment, he added, »The effect is painful in
more ways than one. Female morality is likely to suffer from this marked
advantage and prominence being given to illegitimate offspring.«
    »Well, in point of fact,« said Sir Hugo, in his comfortable way, »since the
boy is there, this was really the best alternative for the disposal of the
estates. Grandcourt had nobody nearer than his cousin. And it's a chilling
thought that you go out of this life only for the benefit of a cousin. A man
gets a little pleasure in making his will, if it's for the good of his own curly
heads; but it's a nuisance when you're giving and bequeathing to a used-up
fellow like yourself, and one you don't care two straws for. It's the next worse
thing to having only a life interest in your estates. No; I forgive Grandcourt
for that part of his will. But, between ourselves, what I don't forgive him for,
is the shabby way he has provided for your niece - our niece, I will say - no
better a position than if she had been a doctor's widow.