If he did not choose to come, or her brother did not choose
to send him on account of any foolish pride and prejudice against labor,
then he might take care of him or the boy might starve for all of her.
This letter John and Lady Jane read together, but did not consider for a
moment. With a scornful toss of her head Lady Jane declared herself
ready to give of her own means toward the maintenance of the boy, rather
than to see a McPherson degraded to manual labor and thus disgrace her
son Neil, the apple of her eye.
And so it was settled between them that Archie was to be kept in
ignorance of his Aunt Betsey's offer, which the low taste he had
inherited from his mother might possibly prompt him to accept. Meanwhile
he was for the present to remain at Stoneleigh, where his living would
cost a mere pittance, and where he would pursue his studies as
heretofore, under the direction of a retired clergyman, who, for a
nominal sum, took boys to educate. This sum, with other absolute
necessaries, John undertook to pay, feeling when all the arrangements
were made that he had done his duty to his brother's child, who was
perfectly delighted to be left by himself at Stoneleigh, where he could
do as he pleased with Anthony and Dorothy, and his teacher, too, for
that matter, and where he was free to talk with and tease and at last
make love to Daisy Allen, for his Uncle John paid but little attention
to him beyond paying the sum he had pledged, and having him in his
family at London and in Derbyshire, for a few weeks each year when it
was most convenient.
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