Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 197: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

180 REYNOLDS’ WORKS embodied the resolve to which his own mind had been previously made up, and which he had expressed in his last letter to Lady Everton. In short, he left himself entirely in the hands of her brother-in-law, Sir John Marston, and Lord Petersfield, to all of whom the fatal secret had thus become known. He even proposed to take the children away with him to some far-off clime, and there bring them up in utter lenorance of the secret of their birth. But to this Mr. Everton would not listen, and he advanced as his reason several arguments similar to those which had constituted Lord Eagledean’s own motives for leaving the children completely in the care of Mrs. Burnaby. The settlement of the hundred thousand pounds upon those two children was next deliberated upon, as this step was to be taken before the marquis could leave England. Mr. Everton suggested that the amount should be lodged in the Bank of England, or with the Marquis of Eagledean’s own private bankers, in the joint names of Lord Petersfield and Sir John Marston, as they two, having become acquainted with the secret, were the most eligible trustees who could be selected. The marquis entertained no objection to this arrangement. He was well acquainted with Lord Petersfield, whom he believed to be a man of the strictest probity, and with regard to Sir John Marston, it was natural to include him in the trusteeship, he being Alexandrina’s brother. An appointment was accordingly made for all four — namely, the marquis, Lord Petersfield, Mr. Everton, and Sir John Marston — to meet on the following day and discuss the matter further. ‘“ When this interview was over, Lord Eagledean proceeded to consult his bankers, and also his solicitor, upon the best method of carrying out the arrangements, confessing to them, under their solemn pledge of secrecy, that Elizabeth and Francis Paton were his own illegitimate children, but as a matter of course, Lady Everton’s name was kept out of the question. To the solicitor the marquis explained that he wished certain restrictions to be placed upon the powers of the trustees, so that they should only carry out such instructions as he might think fit to record for their guidance, without affording them even a discretionary control over the fortunes of the children or the children themselves. In thus speaking, the marquis had in view the suggestions comlcbooks.conr S22.) =} ‘ 7