“Thou hast not yet seen the Drummonds, Jacob?”
“I have not,” I replied, “but I will call upon them tomorrow; but it is time that I should go, for I have to return to London.”
“Thou needst not, Jacob. Thine own house is at hand.”
“My own house!”
“Yes; by the will of Mr Turnbull, his wife has been left a handsome jointure, but, for reasons which he did not explain, the house and furniture are not left to her, but, as residuary legatee, belong to thee.”
“Indeed!—then where is Mrs Turnbull?”
“At Bath, where she hath taken up her residence. Mr Drummond, who hath acted in thy behalf, permitted her to take away such articles as she might wish, but they were but few, chiefly those little objects which filled up rather than adorned the drawing-room. The house is all ready for thy reception, and thou mayst take possession this evening.”
“But why did not Mr Turnbull leave it to his widow?”
“I cannot exactly say, but I think he did not wish her to remain in this place. He, therefore, left her 5000 pounds at her own disposal, to enable her to purchase and furnish another.”
I then took my leave of the Dominie, and it being rather late, I resolved to walk to the house and sleep there.