'There is her aunt in Bryanston Square,' said Clara. 'Or if she would only live with us! You see I am growing wise, as you call it: I like her now.'
'That may be fortunate,' said Louis. 'You know her destination according to Northwold gossip.'
'Nonsense! Jem would scorn an heiress if she were ten times prettier. He will never have an escutcheon of pretence like the one on the old soup tureen that the Lady of Eschalott broke, and Jane was so sorry for because it was the last of the old Cheveleigh china.'
Louis made another experiment. 'Have you repented yet of giving away your clasp?'
'No, indeed! Miss Conway always wears it. She should be richly welcome to anything I have in the world.'
'You and Jem saw much more of them than I did.'
'Whose fault was that? Jem was always raving about your stupidity in staying at home.'
He began to question whether his interview with James had been a dream. As they were walking back towards the school, Clara went on to tell him that Lady Conway had called and taken her to a rehearsal of a concert of ancient music, and that Isabel had taken her for one or two drives into the country.
'This must conduce to make school endurable,' said Louis.
'I think I hate it more because I hate it less.'