MY DEAR UNCLE,

    Thank you heartily for your kind letter. I quite understand, and now
    see that I should not have asked you as a trustee, such a thing. I
    see your duty clearly, and agree with your view of it. I enclose a
    letter directed to my trustees, asking them to pay over annually till
    further direction to Miss Janet MacKelpie at this address whatever
    sum may remain over from the interest of my mother's bequest after
    deduction of such expenses as you may deem fit for my maintenance,
    clothing, and education, together with a sum of one pound sterling
    per month, which was the amount my dear mother always gave me for my
    personal use--"pocket-money," she called it. With regard to your most kind and generous offer to give to my dear
    Aunt Janet the sum which I would have given myself, had such been in
    my power, I thank you most truly and sincerely, both for my dear aunt
    (to whom, of course, I shall not mention the matter unless you
    specially authorize me) and myself. But, indeed, I think it will be
    better not to offer it. Aunt Janet is very proud, and would not
    accept any benefit. With me, of course, it is different, for since I
    was a wee child she has been like another mother to me, and I love
    her very much. Since my mother died--and she, of course, was
    all-in-all to me--there has been no other. And in such a love as
    ours pride has no place. Thank you again, dear uncle, and God bless
    you. Your loving nephew,
                                                        RUPERT SENT LEGER. ERNEST ROGER HALBARD MELTON'S RECORD--_Continued_. And now _re_ the remaining one of Sir Geoffrey's children, Roger. He was
the third child and third son, the only daughter, Patience, having been
born twenty years after the last of the four sons. Concerning Roger, I
shall put down all I have heard of him from my father and grandfather. From my grand-aunt I heard nothing, I was a very small kid when she died;
but I remember seeing her, but only once. A very tall, handsome woman of
a little over thirty, with very dark hair and light-coloured eyes. I
think they were either grey or blue, but I can't remember which. She
looked very proud and haughty, but I am bound to say that she was very
nice to me. I remember feeling very jealous of Rupert because his mother
looked so distinguished. Rupert was eight years older than me, and I was
afraid he would beat me if I said anything he did not like. So I was
silent except when I forgot to be, and Rupert said very unkindly, and I
think very unfairly, that I was "A sulky little beast." I haven't forgot
that, and I don't mean to. However, it doesn't matter much what he said
or thought. There he is--if he is at all--where no one can find him,
with no money or nothing, for what little he had he settled when he came
of age, on the MacSkelpie. He wanted to give it to her when his mother
died, but father, who was a trustee, refused; and Uncle Roger, as I call
him, who is another, thought the trustees had no power to allow Rupert to
throw away his matrimony, as I called it, making a joke to father when he
called it patrimony. Old Sir Colin MacSkelpie, who is the third, said he
couldn't take any part in such a permission, as the MacSkelpie was his
niece. He is a rude old man, that. I remember when, not remembering his
relationship, I spoke of the MacSkelpie, he caught me a clip on the ear
that sent me across the room. His Scotch is very broad. I can hear him
say, "Hae some attempt at even Soothern manners, and dinna misca' yer
betters, ye young puddock, or I'll wring yer snoot!" Father was, I could
see, very much offended, but he didn't say anything. He remembered, I
think, that the General is a V.C. man, and was fond of fighting duels. But to show that the fault was not his, _he_ wrung _my_ ear--and the same
ear too! I suppose he thought that was justice! But it's only right to
say that he made up for it afterwards. When the General had gone he gave
me a five-pound note. I don't think Uncle Roger was very pleased with the way Rupert behaved
about the legacy, for I don't think he ever saw him from that day to
this. Perhaps, of course, it was because Rupert ran away shortly
afterwards; but I shall tell about that when I come to him. After all,
why should my uncle bother about him? He is not a Melton at all, and I
am to be Head of the House--of course, when the Lord thinks right to take
father to Himself! Uncle Roger has tons of money, and he never married,
so if he wants to leave it in the right direction he needn't have any
trouble. He made his money in what he calls "the Eastern Trade." This,
so far as I can gather, takes in the Levant and all east of it. I know
he has what they call in trade "houses" in all sorts of places--Turkey,
and Greece, and all round them, Morocco, Egypt, and Southern Russia, and
the Holy Land; then on to Persia, India, and all round it; the
Chersonese, China, Japan, and the Pacific Islands. It is not to be
expected that we landowners can know much about trade, but my uncle
covers--or alas! I must say "covered"--a lot of ground, I can tell you. Uncle Roger was a very grim sort of man, and only that I was brought up
to try and be kind to him I shouldn't ever have dared to speak to him. But when was a child father and mother--especially mother--forced me to
go and see him and be affectionate to him. He wasn't ever even civil to
me, that I can remember--grumpy old bear! But, then, he never saw Rupert
at all, so that I take it Master R--- is out of the running altogether
for testamentary honours. The last time I saw him myself he was
distinctly rude. He treated me as a boy, though I was getting on for
eighteen years of age. I came into his office without knocking; and
without looking up from his desk, where he was writing, he said: "Get
out! Why do you venture to disturb me when I'm busy? Get out, and be
damned to you!" I waited where I was, ready to transfix him with my eye
when he should look up, for I cannot forget that when my father dies I
shall be Head of my House. But when he did there was no transfixing
possible. He said quite coolly:

"Oh, it's you, is it? I thought it was one of my office boys. Sit down,
if you want to see me, and wait till I am ready." So I sat down and
waited. Father always said that I should try to conciliate and please my
uncle. Father is a very shrewd man, and Uncle Roger is a very rich one. But I don't think Uncle R--- is as shrewd as he thinks he is. He
sometimes makes awful mistakes in business. For instance, some years ago
he bought an enormous estate on the Adriatic, in the country they call
the "Land of Blue Mountains." At least, he says he bought it. He told
father so in confidence. But he didn't show any title-deeds, and I'm
greatly afraid he was "had." A bad job for me that he was, for father
believes he paid an enormous sum for it, and as I am his natural heir, it
reduces his available estate to so much less.