"
"But, my darling," said Miss Ludington, soothingly, "think what you are
to me, and what I am to you. Of course you cannot be conscious of our
relation, in the absolute way I am; through the memory I have of you. I
can only prove what I am to you by argument and evidence, but surely I
have fully proved it, and you must not let yourself doubt it; that would
be most cruel. To whom should I leave my money if not to you? Are we not
nearer kin than two persons ever were on earth before? What have been the
claims of all other heirs since property was inherited compared with
yours? Have I not inherited from you all I am--my very personality--and
should not you be my heir?
"And remember," she went on, "it is not only as my heir that you have a
claim on me; your claim would be almost as great if you were neither near
nor dear to me. It was through my action that you were called back,
without any will of your own, to resume the life which you had once
finished on earth. I did not intend or anticipate that result, to be
sure, but I am not the less responsible for it and being thus
responsible, though you had been a stranger to me instead of my other
self, I should be under the most solemn obligation to guard and protect
the life I had imposed on you.
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