“Well, well, I submit. And now be as happy as you both deserve—after this I must act like other folks, I presume, but I shall never enjoy myself thoroughly again.”
Mr. Herman became his own master and heir to a large estate at twenty-one. He began to build immediately, and the plan of the house and grounds was a type of his character. He was full of plots and contrivances, and there were, therefore, long passages under ground and labyrinths at every turn. Arthur Hazerelle was his intimate friend, and prevented him from ruining himself by taking the management of his pecuniary affairs, so that at the end of five years the house and grounds were finished to suit the whimsical fancy of the owner, and his income was not diminished.
Unfortunately, Mr. Hazerelle loved the same lady on whom his friend had placed his affections—but this did not disturb the friendship of the young men. Mr. Hazerelle was accepted by the young lady, and his friend withdrew from the world, determined never to marry. In the course of a few years, Mr. Hazerelle and his wife both died, leaving one son to the guardianship of Mr. Herman. Aware of his own faults, faults which he considered as having arisen from an early knowledge of the great wealth to which he was heir, he determined upon bringing up his friend’s child in ignorance of what he intended to do for him.
He was one of the most active men in the world, and luckily his means were excellent, so that he could execute all the romantic schemes that he planned. He took no one into his confidence, but through the means of his great wealth he had the power of accomplishing whatever he wished. Every thing which happened to Arthur was in consequence of his agency. He had him educated in the most eccentric manner, giving him an insight into law, medicine and commerce. Every change in the young man’s prospects which appeared the result of accident, was owing to him, and that he might learn something of Arthur’s real character, he frequently lived in the same house with him.
When he found that Arthur was humble and good-tempered, and that he struggled hard against his fate, he thought it was high time to make him amends. He was sure that prosperity would not undo the work of years, and that he had acted his part as a guardian well.
One of his gardeners lost his wife, leaving a child a few weeks old—it was a girl, and her father did not live long after the death of his wife. Mr. Herman took the child, and determined, if she had a good intellect, to educate her for Arthur. She was both intelligent and beautiful, so that he waited with impatience for the time when Arthur should be twenty-four, as that, according to his notion, was the age of discretion.
Grace Gordon had been in his confidence from the time she could comprehend it, and from dwelling upon the plan so long had learned to like it. Many and many a time had she seen Arthur when in the city with Mr. Herman, but she could not persuade him to bring Arthur to what might be considered his own home.
Mr. Herman never left off his love of mystery and plotting, and when little children hung round him he would turn himself into a gypsy and tell their fortunes, which made them laugh; or he would be a shipwrecked sailor, and tell a melancholy story, and make them weep; but he seldom told them a sad tale, for he loved to hear them laugh, and he was the greatest laugher of them all.