My
mother died while I was at Cambridge and in his later years
your grandfather married again--his housekeeper--and rather
muddled his affairs, because at one time he was quite well
off.
After I was ordained he purchased for me the advowson of
this living. All that came to me from his estate, however,
was a sum of about eleven thousand pounds. This used to
bring me in about five hundred pounds a year, and in
addition to that was the fluctuating two hundred and fifty
pounds income from my benefice. I took about three thousand
pounds out of my capital to pay the debts you ran up, to
article you to Mr. Praed; and, I must admit, to get my
"Tales from Taliessin" and "Legends of the Welsh Saints"
privately printed at Cardiff. I am afraid I wasted much good
money on the desire to see my Cymraeg studies in print.
Well: there I am! with about eight or nine thousand pounds
to leave. I have not altered my will--leaving it all to you,
subject to an annuity of L50 a year to your faithful Nannie.
I was projecting an alteration in case of your death, when
you most happily returned. I may live another ten years yet.
You have put new life into me. One charge, however, I was
going to have laid on you; while you were with me I could
not bear to speak of these matters.
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