"An orphan with tons of money, no undesirable relations, and a truthful, affectionate, nature; dear Auntie Wolfe, allow me to offer you my warmest congratulations! And how long do you suppose this delightful alliance will last?"
"To the end of my days, if I could have my wish," was the prompt reply. "The child is my right hand, and simply radiates happiness; however, some odious man is sure to snatch her from me, and carry her off as his companion for life!"
"Yes," he assented, nodding his head, "I'm afraid your partnership is doomed! A beauty, an heiress, and launched by Mrs. De Wolfe—your chance of keeping her, is not worth the traditional button! But how you will enjoy yourself in the meanwhile! You who are always so interested in love affairs, and happy marriages."
"Well I give you my solemn promise, that I shall be in no hurry to marry off Nancy."
"Has she had any love affairs, do you think?"
"No, indeed. Why, my dear Dudley, you've only to look at the girl's face, to see that she has yet to experience the heart's awakening."
"Dio mio, and what a delightful task for some too lucky fellow!"
"Now look here, Dudley," and Mrs. De Wolfe suddenly sat erect, and tapped his sleeve with her pince-nez. "No experiments if you please,—no philandering. I'm not in the way of seeing the gay, and gallant aspect of your character; you turn the good and steady side to my old eyes,—but I have ears, and I have heard tales."
"No doubt you have, dearest Auntie Wolfe, but you know you should never believe anything you hear, and only the half of what you see. I grant you, I have amused myself, pour passer le temps, but only with hardened, and accomplished flirts, who know how to play the game; never with girls,—and I thought you barred girls yourself?"
"Yes, I do, the usual run, who giggle, and whisper, and have silly secrets, and make faces at me behind my back. Now Nancy hasn't a secret in the whole world; if she had, she couldn't keep it! Her life is an open book, 'who runs may read.' A coffee plantation, an English school, once more a coffee plantation; her father's death, a year's slavery to an abominably selfish aunt; from this aunt she came to me—and there's her history!"