The money to pay for these investments came from his
father-in-law. But not directly. Whenever he wanted money he
asked his wife, or De la Boissiere, who was a friend also of
Flagler, to obtain it for him.
His attitude toward his father-in-law is difficult to explain. It is not
apparent that Flagler ever did anything which could justly offend
him; indeed, he always seems to have spoken of his son-in-law
with tolerance, and often with awe, as one would speak of a clever,
wayward child. But Harden-Hickey chose to regard Flagler as his
enemy, as a sordid man of business who could not understand the
feelings and aspirations of a genius and a gentleman.
Before Harden-Hickey married, the misunderstanding between his
wife's father and himself began. Because he thought
Harden-Hickey was marrying his daughter for her money, Flagler
opposed the union. Consequently, Harden-Hickey married Miss
Flagler without "settlements," and for the first few years supported
her without aid from her father. But his wife had been accustomed
to a manner of living beyond the means of the soldier of fortune,
and soon his income, and then even his capital, was exhausted.
From her mother the baroness inherited a fortune. This was in the
hands of her father as executor. When his own money was gone,
Harden-Hickey endeavored to have the money belonging to his
wife placed to her credit, or to his.
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