Secondly, Selina, the eldest daughter, who married in
after-life, and who died ten or eleven years ago. After those two came
other sons and daughters, whose early deaths make it unnecessary to
mention them particularly. The last and by many years the youngest of
the children was Andrew, whom I first knew, as I told you, at the age
of nineteen. My father was then on the point of retiring from the active
pursuit of his profession; and in succeeding to his business, I also
succeeded to his connection with the Vanstones as the family solicitor.
"At that time, Andrew had just started in life by entering the army.
After little more than a year of home-service, he was ordered out with
his regiment to Canada. When he quitted England, he left his father and
his elder brother Michael seriously at variance. I need not detain you
by entering into the cause of the quarrel. I need only tell you that the
elder Mr. Vanstone, with many excellent qualities, was a man of fierce
and intractable temper. His eldest son had set him at defiance, under
circumstances which might have justly irritated a father of far milder
character; and he declared, in the most positive terms, that he would
never see Michael's face again.
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