“That he might help Dan? No; not with the Addition. Harlan’s right when he says that’s just what she trusted him not to do.”
“I didn’t mean that,” Mrs. Oliphant explained. “I mean—you know what he said about mother’s hoping—I mean his saying he thought mother had those wild ideas about Lena’s going away and—and Martha Shelby——”
“No,” her husband said. “No; I don’t think so. It seems unlikely. I don’t think your mother would have——”
“No,” Mrs. Oliphant assented thoughtfully. “I can’t believe she would. Of course there isn’t any way of being sure—now.”
“No; but it’s probably just Harlan’s imagination. He’s sensitive, and that always means imaginative, too. I don’t think we need to dwell on it.”
“I suppose not. Especially as she couldn’t have meant anything like that. You don’t think she could, do you, dear?”
“No, no; I don’t think so,” he answered. “We’d better be worrying over other matters, I suspect.”
“You mean about getting Harlan to help Dan out?”
“Yes.”
“Of course I can do something,” she said. “I’ll help all I can with the income mother’s given me; we’ve always managed to live very comfortably without it. But Harlan—why, I almost believe Dan could make a success of the Addition, if Harlan would do something substantial about it. Yes; we ought to be able to think of some way to get him to do it.”