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Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1804-1864

"Sketches and Studies"

Singularly enough, too,
the heir is an American."
May 2d, Sunday.--"I believe," said Middleton, "that many English secrets
might find their solution in America, if the two threads of a story could
be brought together, disjoined as they have been by time and the ocean.
But are you at liberty to tell me the nature of the incidents to which
you allude?"
"I do not see any reason to the contrary," answered the Master; "for the
story has already come in an imperfect way before the public, and the
full and authentic particulars are likely soon to follow. It seems that
the younger brother was ejected from the house on account of a love
affair; the elder having married a young woman with whom the younger was
in love, and, it is said, the wife disappeared on the bridal night, and
was never heard of more. The elder brother remained single during the
rest of his life; and dying childless, and there being still no news of
the second brother, the inheritance and representation of the family
devolved upon the third brother and his posterity. This branch of the
family has ever since remained in possession; and latterly the
representation has become of more importance, on account of a claim to an
old title, which, by the failure of another branch of this ancient
family, has devolved upon the branch here settled.


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