The Residuary Legatee

In Short

This lighthearted comedy of manners follows Austin May, a wealthy heir bound by a peculiar "posthumous jest" left by his uncle. If Austin marries before a specific date, he loses his fortune to a residuary legatee. Over eleven years of travel, he narrowly avoids catastrophic romances with a supposed Countess and a married woman, only to discover the identity of his mysterious benefactor at the eleventh hour. It is a witty, period-specific exploration of cynical inheritance laws, the absurdity of "romantic" martyrdom, and the eventual triumph of sensible, long-term affection.

The Story

Austin May, a young gentleman of means, finds himself subject to a restrictive will: he must remain a bachelor for eleven years following his uncle’s death or forfeit his entire inheritance. The uncle, a bitter widower who suffered in an unhappy marriage, designed this "posthumous jest" to test his nephew’s resilience. Austin is initially confident, but his life soon becomes a series of narrow escapes from matrimonial traps. He drifts through European society, engaging in high-stakes flirtations with a woman claiming to be the Comtesse Polacca de Valska—a figure shrouded in tales of Siberian exile and political intrigue—and later with the beautiful but married Gladys Dehon.

As the years pass, Austin views himself as a tragic, romantic hero, prone to grand gestures and reckless pursuit of unattainable women. He believes he is sacrificing his happiness for a vague, noble cause, unaware that he is merely creating unnecessary misery for himself and others. When he eventually meets Miss May Austin, a woman who embodies everything he finds lacking in his previous "heroines," he finds himself genuinely in love. Yet, he is still bound by his uncle’s deadline. As the August 1886 expiration date approaches, Austin finds his past choices catching up to him. He flees from the persistent Countess and the irate Mr. Dehon, who is scandalized by a letter Austin wrote to his wife years earlier.

Austin spends the final hours before his deadline in a state of high anxiety, armed with a revolver and a supply of cognac, fearing his past flames will appear to claim him. When the clock strikes midnight and no one arrives to stop him, he believes he has finally secured his freedom and his fortune. However, the true sting of the "jest" is revealed when he meets with the estate’s executor. His uncle had suspected a budding romance between Austin and his cousin, May Austin, all along. The secret codicil names May Austin as the residuary legatee, effectively daring them both to marry for love rather than money. By waiting out the eleven years, Austin has not only protected his wealth but also confirmed his commitment to the one person who truly suits him. The story concludes with the couple reunited at the family home, while the ghosts of Austin’s past—the Countess and the Terwilliger Dehons—fade into the background of his new, stable life.

How It Unfolds

The inheritance terms Austin discovers his uncle’s eccentric will, which mandates a decade-plus of celibacy to preserve his wealth. He treats the document with an amused, detached irony, failing to realize the gravity of the restriction on his future.

The lure of the Countess In Baden-Baden, Austin falls under the spell of the Comtesse Polacca de Valska. He confuses her performative patriotism and mysterious background with true heroic suffering, dangerously committing himself to her cause.

The hunt on Exmoor Austin shifts his devotion to the married Mrs. Dehon, finding in her a "grande passion" that he believes justifies his social isolation. He spends a year in a state of miserable longing, waiting for her to be free, which only serves to complicate his life further.

The final countdown As the deadline nears, Austin attempts to reconcile his past promises with his present feelings for May Austin. He hides away, hoping to avoid a breach-of-promise suit or a dramatic confrontation with his former interests.

The revelation The deadline passes safely, and the true purpose of the uncle's will is unveiled through a private letter. The "jest" concludes with the realization that the fortune was intended to secure a marriage of genuine affection between the two cousins.

The People

Austin May The protagonist, a man who spends his youth mistaking dramatic, hopeless infatuations for noble sacrifice. He begins as a cynical, cigarette-smoking observer of "tragic" women and ends as a man who finally recognizes the value of peace and stability.

The Comtesse Polacca de Valska A mysterious, manipulative socialite who uses her supposed political connections and tragic history to entangle men in her affairs. She represents the "theatrical" side of romance that Austin eventually outgrows.

Gladys Dehon A beautiful, married woman who inspires Austin’s most intense, "hopeless" obsession. She is the object of his unrequited romantic martyrdom, though her role in his life is ultimately that of a distraction from his real future.

May Austin The cousin and residuary legatee. She is a woman of the "great world," composed and sensible, who provides the necessary contrast to Austin’s erratic behavior. She is the only figure capable of grounding him.

Terwilliger Dehon Gladys’s husband, a "pursy little old man" whose anger provides the climax of Austin’s romantic failures. His reaction to Austin’s old letters highlights the absurdity of the latter’s past attachments.

In Its Own Voice

“My body I consign to ashes, and direct that it be duly cremated under supervision of my executors; my soul I recommend to him who made it, provided that He have not already taken the soul of Georgiana Austin Austin, my late wife, under his same supervision, in which case I reverently pray that it be left to my own disposition.”

Austin reads the opening of his uncle's strange, cynical will.

“Young men have their time for falling in love with comédiennes upon the stage; and then they turn to the comédiennes of real life. Only in the latter case it is to be noted that they ever prefer the heroines of a tragedy.”

The narrator reflects on Austin’s penchant for choosing women who bring him nothing but trouble.

What It's Really About

The book examines the intersection of money and marriage, specifically criticizing the ways inherited wealth can distort human relationships. It questions the Victorian tendency to romanticize "suffering" and "hopeless love," suggesting that such devotion is often just a symptom of a restless, immature ego. Through the "posthumous jest," the author argues that true love is best tested by time and the removal of material incentive. The story asks whether one is capable of growth, or if they are doomed to repeat the cycle of unhappiness established by the generation before them. It is ultimately a defense of quiet, domestic happiness over the performative, exhausting dramas of high society.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate the dry, social satire of late 19th-century American fiction will find much to admire here. The book is written with a sharp, sophisticated wit that does not shy away from mocking its own hero’s pretentious sensibilities. If you enjoy stories where the protagonist is a bit of a fool who eventually learns better, this will be a satisfying journey.

However, the reader should be prepared for the dense, period-specific references and a style that favors long, intricate sentences over modern pacing. The frequent use of French phrases and allusions to European social conventions of the 1880s may feel distant, and the protagonist’s initial attitudes toward women—viewing them as either "heroines" or "shams"—reflect the period's gendered perspectives. Despite these challenges, the central mystery of the will remains engaging, and the prose sparkles with a cynical charm. It is a rewarding read for those interested in a "gentleman’s" coming-of-age story that manages to be both a lighthearted romp and a clever critique of the Victorian obsession with romantic tragedy. You will likely walk away remembering the absurdity of the "posthumous jest" and the refreshing, calm resolution that proves that the best things in life are often those we finally choose after the drama has died down.