He looked upon her with such an ironical smile that she broke off, and cried,—
“Ah, he does not believe me! Tell me that you do not believe me!”
He bowed ceremoniously, and replied in his gravest manner,—
“I believe, Miss Brandon, that you desire to become Countess Ville- Handry; and you clear everything out of your path that can hinder you in your plans.”
She was about to answer; but he did not give her time, and continued,—
“Mark, I pray, that I make no charges. Come, let us play openly. You are too sensible and too practical to hate us—Miss Henrietta and myself—from gratuitous and purely platonic motives. You hate us because we are in your way. How are we in your way? Tell me; and, if you will promise to help us, we—Henrietta and I—pledge ourselves not to stand in your way.”
Miss Brandon looked as if she could not trust her ears.
“But, sir, this is a bargain, I should say, which you propose?”
“Yes, indeed! And, that there may be no misunderstanding, I will mention the precise terms: if you will swear to be kind to Henrietta during my absence, to protect her against violence on the part of her father, and never to force her to act contrary to her sentiments for me, I will give you, in return, my word that I shall give up to you, without dispute and without reserve, the whole immense fortune possessed by Count Ville-Handry.”
Succumbing to her grief, Miss Brandon seemed to be almost fainting; and big tears rolled down her cheeks.