`` No more did I , Theodosia . I thought , as everyone else did , that poor Charles was at the bottom of the sea forty years ago . It 's that long since he ran away from home . He had a quarrel with Father , and he was always dreadful high-spirited . He went to sea , and we heard that he had sailed for England in the Helen Ray . She was never heard of after , and we all supposed that my poor brother had perished with her . And four weeks ago I got a letter from a firm of lawyers in Melbourne , Australia , saying that my brother , Charles Bennett , had died and left all his fortune to me . I could n't believe it at first , but they sent me some things of his that he had when he left home , and there was an old picture of myself among them with my name written on it in my own hand , so then I knew there was no mistake . But whether Charles did sail in the Helen Ray , or if he did , how he escaped from her and got to Australia , I do n't know , and it is n't likely I ever will . '' `` Well , of all wonderful things ! '' commented Mrs. Stapp . `` I was glad to hear that I was heir to so much money , '' said Mrs. March firmly . `` At first I felt as if it were awful of me to be glad when it came to me by my brother 's death . But I mourned for poor Charles forty years ago , and I ca n't sense that he has only just died . Not but what I 'd rather have seen him come home alive than have all the money in the world , but it has come about otherwise , and as the money is lawfully mine , I may as well feel pleased about it . '' `` And you 've bought the Carroll place , '' said Mrs. Stapp , with the freedom of a privileged friend . `` Whatever made you do it ? I 'm sure you are as cosy here as need be , and nobody but yourself . Is n't this house big enough for you ? '' `` No , it is n't .
All my life I 've been hankering for a good , big , roomy house , and all my life I 've had to put up with little boxes of places , not big enough to turn round XXXXX .
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