Chapter XIII. Mr Tulliver Further Entangles the Skein of Life

kwasdoneinlesstimethanusual,andifthespellingdifferedfromMrsGlegg’s,—why,shebelonged,likehimself,toagenerationwithwhomspellingwasamatterofprivatejudgment. MrsGleggdidnotalterherwillinconsequenceofthisletter,andcutofftheTulliverchildrenfromtheirsixthandseventhshareinherthousandpoundsforshehadherprinciples.Noonemustbeabletosayofherwhenshewasdeadthatshehadnotdividedhermoneywithperfectfairnessamongherownkin.Inthematterofwills,personalqualitiesweresubordinatetothegreatfundamentalfactofbloodandtobedeterminedinthedistributionofyourpropertybycaprice,andnotmakeyourlegaciesbearadirectratiotodegreesofkinship,wasaprospectivedisgracethatwouldhaveembitteredherlife.ThishadalwaysbeenaprincipleintheDodsonfamilyitwasoneformofthatsenseofhonourandrectitudewhichwasaproudtraditioninsuchfamilies,—atraditionwhichhasbeenthesaltofourprovincialsociety. ButthoughthelettercouldnotshakeMrsGlegg’sprinciples,itmadethefamilybreachmuchmoredifficulttomendandastotheeffectitproducedonMrsGlegg’sopinionofMrTulliver,shebeggedtobeunderstoodfromthattimeforththatshehadnothingwhatevertosayabouthimhisstateofmind,apparently,wastoocorruptforhertocontempl