"And would it be honorable on my part for me to keep the money of a man I despise because his will insults me?" she retorted.
"We argued all this before."
"Yes, we did, and concluded to wait until we saw how the estates could be freed before we came to any conclusion."
"And do you see now how the estates can be freed without using Pine's money, Agnes?" asked Lambert anxiously.
"No. Things are ever so much worse than I thought. Garvington can hold out for another year, but at the end of twelve months the estates will be sold up by the person whose name is in the sealed envelope, and he will be reduced to some hundreds a year. The Lamberts!" she waved her arm dramatically, "are ruined, my dear; entirely ruined!"
"And for the simple reason that you wish us to place love before duty."
Agnes leaned forward and took his hand firmly. "Noel, you love me?"
"Of course I do."
"Do you love the family name better?"
"In one way I wish to save it, in another I am willing to let it go hang."