"The Gerrard Street mystery (1888) by John Charles Dent" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dent John Charles)

matrimonial alliance, and for some time after his arrival here his sisters lived
in his house, and were dependent upon him for support. After the lapse of a few
years both of them married and settled down in homes of their own. The elder of
them subsequently became my mother. She was left a widow when I was a mere boy,
and survived my father only a few months. I was an only child, and as my parents
had been in humble circumstances, the charge of my maintenance devolved upon my
uncle, to whose kindness I am indebted for such educational training as I have
received. After sending me to school and college for several years, he took me
into his store, and gave me my first insight into commercial life. I lived with
him, and both then and always received at his hands the kindness of a father, in
which light I eventually almost came to regard him. His younger sister, who was
married to a watchmaker called Elias Playter, lived at Quebec from the time of
her marriage until her death, which took place in 1846. Her husband had been
unsuccessful in business, and was moreover of dissipated habits. He was left
with one child--a daughter--on his hands; and as my uncle was averse to the idea
of his sister's child remaining under the control of one so unfit to provide for
her welfare, he proposed to adopt the little girl as his own. To this
proposition Mr. Elias Playter readily assented, and little Alice was soon
domiciled with her uncle and myself in Toronto.
Brought up, as we were, under the same roof, and seeing each other every day
of our lives, a childish attachment sprang up between my cousin Alice and
myself. As the years rolled by, this attachment ripened into a tender affection,
which eventually resulted in an engagement between us. Our engagement was made
with the full and cordial approval of my uncle, who did not share the prejudice
entertained by many persons against marriage between cousins. He stipulated,
however, that our marriage should be deferred until I had seen somewhat more of
the world, and until we had both reached an age when we might reasonably be
presumed to know our own minds. He was also, not unnaturally, desirous that
before taking upon myself the responsibility of marriage I should give some
evidence of my ability to provide for a wife, and for other contingencies
usually consequent upon matrimony. He made no secret of his intention to divide
his property between Alice and myself at his death; and the fact that no actual
division would be necessary in the event of our marriage with each other was
doubtless one reason for his ready acquiescence in our engagement. He was,
however, of a vigorous constitution, strictly regular and methodical in all his
habits, and likely to live to an advanced age. He could hardly be called
parsimonious, but, like most men who have successfully fought their own way
through life, he was rather fond of authority, and little disposed to divest
himself of his wealth until he should have no further occasion for it. He
expressed his willingness to establish me in business, either in Toronto or
elsewhere, and to give me the benefit of his experience in all mercantile
transactions.
When matters had reached this pass I had just completed my twenty-first year,
my cousin being three years younger. Since my uncle's retirement I had engaged
in one or two little speculations on my own account, which had turned out fairly
successful, but I had not devoted myself to any regular or fixed pursuit. Before
any definite arrangements had been concluded as to the course of my future life,
a circumstance occurred which seemed to open a way for me to turn to good
account such mercantile talent as I possessed. An old friend of my uncle's
opportunely arrived in Toronto from Melbourne, Australia, where, in the course