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Le Fanu, Joseph Sheridan, 1814-1873

"Uncle Silas A Tale of Bartram-Haugh"

But he possesses many thousand
pounds, under my poor brother's will, of _your money_; and he has glided
with, of course a modest "nolo episcopari," into the acting trusteeship,
with all its multitudinous opportunities, of your immense property. That
is not doing so badly for a visionary Swedenborgian. Such a man _must_
prosper. But if he expected to make money of me, he is disappointed.
Money, however, he will make of his trusteeship, as you will see. It is a
dangerous resolution. But if he will seek the life of Dives, the worst I
wish him is to find the death of Lazarus. But whether, like Lazarus, he be
borne of angels into Abraham's bosom, or, like the rich man, only dies
and is buried, and _the rest_, neither living nor dying do I desire his
company.'
Uncle Silas here seemed suddenly overtaken by exhaustion. He leaned back
with a ghastly look, and his lean features glistened with the dew of
faintness. I screamed for Wyat. But he soon recovered sufficiently to smile
his odd smile, and with it and his frown, nodded and waved me away.


CHAPTER XLVIII
_QUESTION AND ANSWER_

My uncle, after all, was not ill that day, after the strange fashion of his
malady, be it what it might.


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