The title and estates passed,
therefore, to General Dunsmore, and Rupert became the Honourable
Rupert Dunsmore and the direct heir. All this meant for him a great
deal more to see to and arrange, for the health of the new Lord
Chobham had also been affected and he left practically everything
in his son's hands, so that, except for the letters which came
regularly but had been often written in great haste, Ella knew and
heard little of Rupert.
But today he was to come, for everything was finally in order, and,
though this she did not know till later, Walter Dunsmore had at
last been discovered, dead from poison self-administered, in a
wretched lodging in an East End slum. Rupert had been called to
identify the body and he had been able to arrange it so that very
little was said at the inquest, where the customary verdict of
"Suicide during temporary insanity" was duly returned by a quite
uninterested jury.
That the last had been heard of the tragedy that had so nearly
overwhelmed his life, Rupert was able now to feel fairly well
assured, and it was therefore in a mood more cheerful than he had
known of late that he started on his journey to Ella's new residence.
He had sent a wire to confirm his letter, and it was in a mood that
was more than a little nervous that she busied herself with her
preparations.
She chose her very simplest gown, and when there was absolutely
nothing more to do she went into their little sitting-room to
wait alone by the fire she had built up there, for it was winter
now and today was cold and inclined to be stormy.
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