Village books

The story of this visit to Paris touched her imagination.
Margaret was the daughter of a country barrister, with whom Arthur had
been in the habit of staying; and when he died, many years after his
wife, Arthur found himself the girl's guardian and executor. He sent her
to school; saw that she had everything she could possibly want; and when,
at seventeen, she told him of her wish to go to Paris and learn drawing,
he at once consented. But though he never sought to assume authority over
her, he suggested that she should not live alone, and it was on this
account that she went to Susie. The preparations for the journey were
scarcely made when Margaret discovered by chance that her father had died
penniless and she had lived ever since at Arthur's entire expense. When
she went to see him with tears in her eyes, and told him what she knew,
Arthur was so embarrassed that it was quite absurd.
'But why did you do it?' she asked him. 'Why didn't you tell me?'
'I didn't think it fair to put you under any obligation to me, and I
wanted you to feel quite free.


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