"He is a nice young man, but poor."
"Chris is poor also. Yet you want him to marry Olivia."
"I think Chris has a better character than young Ainsleigh, who looks as though he has a will of his own. Now Chris has none. I have broken it, and Olivia as Mrs. Walker, can order him about like a slave. I hope Sophia has made the will as I wished."
"You'll hear in a minute. For my part," added Miss Pewsey in her spiteful way, "I hope Sophia has left the money to Olivia, on condition that she marries Clarence, and keeps him at home."
"And keeps him on the income," corrected Lady Jabe, who did not at all approve of this speech. "No man should live on his wife."
"You propose that Chris should do so."
"Indeed no. He earns quite a good salary at the office, and I could live with the young couple to prevent waste."
"I am quite sure you would," said Miss Pewsey, "if you get the money."
Lady Jabe would have made a sharp reply, as Miss Wharf being dead, she was under no obligation to curry favour with Miss Pewsey. But at that moment she saw Chris talking to Olivia, and as the girl seemed deeply interested, she pointed out the two with her cane. "I see Chris is losing no time," she murmured, "such a lover as he is."
But had she heard Chris talking, she would not have been so happy. The young man was simply replying to a question put by Olivia, as to the whereabouts of Tung-yu. "I really don't know where he is, Miss Rayner," said Chris, earnestly. "There was a police-officer at our place the other day inquiring. But Tung-yu has not been near Kum-gum Li's since I took him to the ball. I believe he asked me to get him an invitation so that he might kill your aunt."