The truth is that Phillip had all along desired a marriage with Sir Andrew’s daughter for the sake of money only; but now that he was master of his own actions, and inheritor of all his father’s wealth, he instantly conceived different ideas.
When young Redgill had returned from the funeral, he discovered that Jacob Sloman, Esq., the lawyer, had already arrived to read the will, and, among the uninvited, was old Moss, the Jew.
Alter light refreshment, the company adjourned to the large parlour, where Mr. Sloman was busily engaged in arranging his papers.
Sir Andrew, and a dozen other gentlemen present, intimate friends and relations of the deceased, were loud in their praises of the defunct, and nothing could be said that was too good in honour of his many inestimable qualities.
He was—
“A model father!”
“An exemplary Christian!”
“An honest and irreproachable merchant!”
“Upright citizen!”
“Ornament to commerce!” &c., first one and then another remarked, until at last, Phillip began to imagine, for the first time in his life, that his father must have been much more than an “ordinary” gentleman.