“A head that will soon be in the grave. No, no, my son, the property is yours; and if you have any scruples, why, then, are you not going to marry your cousin? so the Grange will still belong to you, and yet remain with the elder branch of the family.”
“Why, Helena is my first cousin!”
“Of course she is!”
“A second Eunice,” said Crispin, smiling, “only not so charming.”
“Crispin! Helena is the most beautiful woman in the world.”
“So is Eunice.”
“Come, that’s nonsense, you know!” objected Maurice warmly; “there can’t be two most beautiful women in the world.”
Justinian settled the matter by bursting out laughing.
“Every one thinks his own crow the whitest,” he said gayly; “but come, leave off arguing about the merits of your respective lady-loves. We have other things to think of.”
“The coming war, eh?”