The Coheiress of Willingham Author:Leigh Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV. Maude's business with Mr. Neville was to consult him as to her future proceedings with regard to her estate and her bailiff. Her steward, a lawyer... more » residing in the next county-town, was an active, energetic, well-judging man, but having his hands so full of business, that he could not attend very thoroughly to the petty incidents of many of the distant estates with the management of which he was intrusted; and thus Baldwin, an intelligent sort of man, was invested with more authority than usually falls to the lot of persons in his position. As a sort of deputy to Mr. Vincent, he had much to do with all the concerns of the property, and managed matters very much as he thought proper. Now it had occurred to Maude, as the result of her yesterday's cogitations, that it would be greatly for the benefit of all parties concerned that she too should have a little knowledge of her own affairs beyond the stated meetings with Mr. Vincent so many times a year, when she had formally listened, or rather not listened, to a great deal she neither cared for nor understood, signed certain documents, assented very contentedly to all proposals made, and for the rest left it all to Lady Halford and her lawyer. That lady had been originally deputed by her guardian to this task, which a very acute interest in money concerns, and a very sharp sort of caution in transactions of the kind, with a tolerable knowledge of business, well fitted her for; and she continued this office with her niece's consent, even after the latter had attained her majority. But now, her aunt having left probably for ever as a permanent resident at Willingham, it would be requisite, Maude considered, to give a little more atteution to her affairs; and she thought, if she could go a step further, and take so...« less