"Such a misery,—such a destruction of everything no man ever heard of before!" said Mr. Wharton. To this she made no reply, but continued working at some necessary preparation for her final departure. "Emily," he said, "I will make any sacrifice to prevent it. What can be done? Short of injuring Everett's interests I will do anything."
"I do not know," she said.
"You must understand something of his affairs."
"Nothing whatever. He has told me nothing of them. In earlier days,—soon after our marriage,—he bade me get money from you."
"When you wrote to me for money from Italy?"
"And after that. I have refused to do anything;—to say a word. I told him that it must be between you and him. What else could I say? And now he tells me nothing."
"I cannot think that he should want you to go with him." Then there was again a pause. "Is it because he loves you?"
"Not that, papa."
"Why then should he burden himself with a companion? His money, whatever he has, would go further without such impediment."
"Perhaps he thinks, papa, that while I am with him he has a hold upon you."