"If he would only give up that old shop of his," Mrs. Baldwin said to her son, shortly after his marriage, "he could come into genteel society, and no one would ever suspect that he had been a mechanic. I wonder Doctor Hudson doesn't go to housekeeping in a handsome way, and take the old folks to live with him."
"It is his intention to do so as soon as he thinks his income sufficient for the purpose," replied Baldwin.
"Isn't it sufficient now?" asked the mother.
"He thinks not; and I suppose he ought to be the best judge in the case. But if I am not mistaken in the character of his father, he will find the old gentleman altogether opposed to such an arrangement. I have heard him say, that he considered every man in duty bound to pursue some useful employment so long as he had a sound mind and a hale body; both of which he possesses. Mr. Hudson is too independent in his habits of thinking and feeling, to consent to give up his business, while he can work at it; at least such is my opinion."
Mrs. Baldwin could not understand this; and when the fact proved the truth of the son's prediction, she was outraged at the old gentleman's "perverseness" as she called it.
But as time went on, and Mrs. Baldwin saw that her family had suffered no real disgrace, as far as she could distinguish, by the marriage of her son into that of the watchmaker, she became more reconciled and indifferent. Mrs. Hudson did not, as she at first feared would be the case, thrust herself at all unsuitable times, and on all unsuitable occasions, into her company. The fact was very different. Mrs. Hudson gave her no trouble in this respect; for she was by no means strongly prepossessed in her favor, and did not enjoy her society well enough to seek it very often.
[CHAPTER XVII.]
BITTER FRUITS.
SCARCELY had the honey-moon passed after the wedding of Lawrence Dunbar—which took place a few months after the elevation of Doctor Hudson to the chair of anatomy and surgery in the school—before the young lawyer's restless desire to know something in, regard to his wife's fortune, led him to ask her some questions on the subject. He was informed that Mr. Harrison, her guardian, had the entire charge of her property, and would give him all information on the subject.
"Of course the guardianship will now cease," said the husband; "since the law places in my hands all the powers that were conferred upon him."