MrFairlie，theelder，diedandleftthreesons，Philip，Frederick，andArthur。Aseldestson，Philipsucceededtotheestate。Ifhediedwithoutleavingason，thepropertywenttothesecondbrother，Frederick；andifFrederickdiedalsowithoutleavingason，thepropertywenttothethirdbrother，Arthur。
Aseventsturnedout，MrPhilipFairliediedleavinganonlydaughter，theLauraofthisstory，andtheestate，inconsequence，went，incourseoflaw，tothesecondbrother，frederick，asingleman。Thethirdbrother，Arthur，haddiedmanyyearsbeforethedeceaseofPhilip，leavingasonandadaughter。Theson，attheageofeighteen，wasdrownedatOxford。
HisdeathleftLaura，thedaughterofMrPhilipFairlie，presumptiveheiresstotheestate，witheverychanceofsucceedingtoit，intheordinarycourseofnature，onheruncleFrederick’sdeath，ifthesaidFrederickdiedwithoutleavingmaleissue。
Exceptintheevent，then，ofMrFrederickFairlie’smarryingandleavinganheirthetwoverylastthingsintheworldthathewaslikelytodo，hisniece，Laura，wouldhavethepropertyonhisdeath，possessing，itmustberemembered，nothingmorethanalife-interestinit。Ifshediedsingle，ordiedchildless，theestatewouldreverttohercousin，Magdalen，thedaughterofMrArthurFairlie。Ifshemarried，withapropersettlement——or，inotherwords，withthesettlementImeanttomakeforher——theincomefromtheestateagoodthreethousandayearwould，duringherlifetime，beatherowndisposal。Ifshediedbeforeherhusband，hewouldnaturallyexpecttobeleftintheenjoymentoftheincome，forhislifetime。
Ifshehadason，thatsonwouldbetheheir，totheexclusionofhercousinMagdalen。Thus，SirPercival’sprospectsinmarryingMissFairliesofarashiswife’sexpectationsfromrealpropertywereconcernedpromisedhimthesetwoadvantages，onMrFrederickFairlie’sdeath：First，theuseofthreethousandayearbyhiswife’spermission，whileshelived，andinhisownright，onherdeath，ifhesurvivedher；and，secondly，theinheritanceofLimmeridgeforhisson，ifhehadone。
Somuchforthelandedproperty，andforthedisposaloftheincomefromit，ontheoccasionofMissFairlie’smarriage。Thusfar，nodifficultyordifferenceofopiniononthelady’ssettlementwasatalllikelytoarisebetweenSirPercival’slawyerandmyself。
Thepersonalestate，or，inotherwords，themoneytowhichMissFairliewouldbecomeentitledonreachingtheageoftwenty-oneyears，isthenextpointtoconsider。
Thispartofherinheritancewas，initself，acomfortablelittlefortune。
Itwasderivedunderherfather’swill，anditamountedtothesumoftwentythousandpounds。Besidesthis，shehadalife-interestintenthousandpoundsmore，whichlatteramountwastogo，onherdecease，toherauntEleanor，herfather’sonlysister。Itwillgreatlyassistinsettingthefamilyaffairsbeforethereaderintheclearestpossiblelight，ifIstophereforamoment，toexplainwhytheaunthadbeenkeptwaitingforherlegacyuntilthedeathoftheniece。
MrPhilipFairliehadlivedonexcellenttermswithhissisterEleanor，aslongassheremainedasinglewoman。Butwhenhermarriagetookplace，somewhatlateinlife，andwhenthatmarriageunitedhertoanItaliangentlemannamedFosco，or，rather，toanItaliannobleman——seeingthatherejoicedinthetitleofCount——MrFairliedisapprovedofherconductsostronglythatheceasedtoholdanycommunicationwithher，andevenwentthelengthofstrikinghernameoutofhiswill。Theothermembersofthefamilyallthoughtthisseriousmanifestationofresentmentathissister’smarriagemoreorlessunreasonable。CountFosco，thoughnotarichman，wasnotapennilessadventurereither。Hehadasmallbutsufficientincomeofhisown。HehadlivedmanyyearsinEngland，andheheldanexcellentpositioninsociety。Theserecommendations，however，availednothingwithMrFairlie。InmanyofhisopinionshewasanEnglishmanoftheoldschool，andhehatedaforeignersimplyandsolelybecausehewasaforeigner。
Theutmostthathecouldbeprevailedontodo，inafteryears——mainlyatMissFairlie’sintercession——wastorestorehissister’snametoitsformerplaceinhiswill，buttokeepherwaitingforherlegacybygivingtheincomeofthemoneytohisdaughterforlife，andthemoneyitself，ifherauntdiedbeforeher，tohercousinMagdalen。Consideringtherelativeagesofthetwoladies，theaunt’schance，intheordinarycourseofnature，ofreceivingthetenthousandpounds，wasthusrendereddoubtfulintheextreme；andMadameFoscoresentedherbrother’streatmentofherasunjustlyasusualinsuchcases，byrefusingtoseeherniece，anddecliningtobelievethatMissFairlie’sintercessionhadeverbeenexertedtorestorehernametoMrFairlie’swill。
Suchwasthehistoryofthetenthousandpounds。HereagainnodifficultycouldarisewithSirPercival’slegaladviser。Theincomewouldbeatthewife’sdisposal，andtheprincipalwouldgotoherauntorhercousinonherdeath。
Allpreliminaryexplanationsbeingnowclearedoutoftheway，Icomeatlasttotherealknotofthecase——tothetwentythousandpounds。
ThissumwasabsolutelyMissFairlie’sownonhercompletinghertwenty-firstyear，andthewholefuturedispositionofitdepended，inthefirstinstance，ontheconditionsIcouldobtainforherinhermarriage-settlement。Theotherclausescontainedinthatdocumentwereofaformalkind，andneednotberecitedhere。Buttheclauserelatingtothemoneyistooimportanttobepassedover。Afewlineswillbesufficienttogivethenecessaryabstractofit。
Mystipulationinregardtothetwentythousandpoundswassimplythis：
Thewholeamountwastobesettledsoastogivetheincometotheladyforherlife——afterwardstoSirPercivalforhislife——andtheprincipaltothechildrenofthemarriage。Indefaultofissue，theprincipalwastobedisposedofastheladymightbyherwilldirect，forwhichpurposeIreservedtohertherightofmakingawill。Theeffectoftheseconditionsmaybethussummedup。IfLadyGlydediedwithoutleavingchildren，herhalf-sisterMissHalcombe，andanyotherrelativesorfriendswhomshemightbeanxioustobenefit，would，onherhusband’sdeath，divideamongthemsuchsharesofhermoneyasshedesiredthemtohave。If，ontheotherhand，shediedleavingchildren，thentheirinterest，naturallyandnecessarily，supersededallotherinterestswhatsoever。Thiswastheclause——andnoonewhoreadsitcanfail，Ithink，toagreewithmethatitmetedoutequaljusticetoallparties。
Weshallseehowmyproposalsweremetonthehusband’sside。
AtthetimewhenMissHalcombe’sletterreachedmeIwasevenmorebusilyoccupiedthanusual。ButIcontrivedtomakeleisureforthesettlement。
Ihaddrawnit，andhadsentitforapprovaltoSirPercival’ssolicitor，inlessthanaweekfromthetimewhenMissHalcombehadinformedmeoftheproposedmarriage。
Afteralapseoftwodaysthedocumentwasreturnedtome，withnotesandremarksofthebaronet’slawyer。Hisobjections，ingeneral，provedtobeofthemosttriflingandtechnicalkind，untilhecametotheclauserelatingtothetwentythousandpounds。Againstthisthereweredoublelinesdrawninredink，andthefollowingnotewasappendedtothem——
`Notadmissible。TheprincipaltogotoSirPercivalGlyde，intheeventofhissurvivingLadyGlyde，andtherebeingnoissue。’
Thatistosay，notonefarthingofthetwentythousandpoundswastogotoMissHalcombe，ortoanyotherrelativeorfriendofLadyGlyde’s。
Thewholesum，ifsheleftnochildren，wastoslipintothepocketsofherhusband。
TheanswerIwrotetothisaudaciousproposalwasasshortandsharpasIcouldmakeit。`Mydearsir。MissFairlie’ssettlement。Imaintaintheclausetowhichyouobject，exactlyasitstands。Yourstruly。’Therejoindercamebackinaquarterofanhour。`Mydearsir。MissFairlie’ssettlement。Imaintaintheredinktowhichyouobject，exactlyasitstands。
Yourstruly。’Inthedetestableslangoftheday，wewerenowboth`atadeadlock，andnothingwasleftforitbuttorefertoourclientsoneitherside。
Asmattersstood，myclient——MissFairlienothavingyetcompletedhertwenty-firstyear——MrFrederickFairlie，washerguardian。Iwrotebythatday’spost，andputthecasebeforehimexactlyasitstood，notonlyurgingeveryargumentIcouldthinkoftoinducehimtomaintaintheclauseasIhaddrawnit，butstatingtohimplainlythemercenarymotivewhichwasatthebottomoftheoppositiontomysettlementofthetwentythousandpounds。TheknowledgeofSirPercival’saffairswhichIhadnecessarilygainedwhentheprovisionsofthedeedonhissideweresubmittedinduecoursetomyexamination，hadbuttooplainlyinformedmethatthedebtsonhisestatewereenormous，andthathisincome，thoughnominallyalargeone，wasvirtually，foramaninhisposition，nexttonothing。
ThewantofreadymoneywasthepracticalnecessityofSirPercival’sexistence，andhislawyer’snoteontheclauseinthesettlementwasnothingbutthefranklyselfishexpressionofit。
MrFairlie’sanswerreachedmebyreturnofpost，andprovedtobewanderingandirrelevantintheextreme。TurnedintoplainEnglish，itpracticallyexpresseditselftothiseffect：`WoulddearGilmorebesoveryobligingasnottoworryhisfriendandclientaboutsuchatrifleasaremotecontingency？
Wasitlikelythatayoungwomanoftwenty-onewoulddiebeforeamanofforty-five，anddiewithoutchildren？Ontheotherhand，insuchamiserableworldasthis，wasitpossibletoover-estimatethevalueofpeaceandquietness？Ifthosetwoheavenlyblessingswereofferedinexchangeforsuchanearthlytrifleasaremotechanceoftwentythousandpounds，wasitnotafairbargain？Surely，yes。Thenwhynotmakeit？’
Ithrewtheletterawayindisgust。Justasithadflutteredtotheground，therewasaknockatmydoor，andSirPercival’ssolicitor，MrMerriman，wasshownin。Therearemanyvarietiesofsharppractitionersinthisworld，butIthinkthehardestofalltodealwitharethemenwhooverreachyouunderthedisguiseofinveterategood-humour。Afat，well-fed，smiling，friendlymanofbusinessisofallpartiestoabargainthemosthopelesstodealwith。MrMerrimanwasoneofthisclass。
`AndhowisgoodMrGilmore？’hebegan，allinaglowwiththewarmthofhisownamiability。`Gladtoseeyou，sir，insuchexcellenthealth。
Iwaspassingyourdoor，andIthoughtIwouldlookinincaseyoumighthavesomethingtosaytome。Do——nowpraydoletussettlethislittledifferenceofoursbywordofmouth，ifwecan！Haveyouheardfromyourclientyet？’
`Yes。Haveyouheardfromyours？’
`Mydear，goodsir！IwishIhadheardfromhimtoanypurpose——I