"I look upon her as such," said Mrs. Bedge primly. "I have known Ida for years: when her father was in Burmah he sent her to school in England, and she always spent her holidays with me. That is how Constantine came to fall in love with her. It has been the dream of my life to see them married, especially as Ida is rich and needs a man to look after her money. I wish to become Ida's companion, not only because I am one of her oldest friends and need to supplement my income, but because I hope to influence her again in my boy's favour."
"I understand." Vernon smiled quietly as he thought that if Maunders looked after Ida's money there would be little of it left in a few years. But he quite understood, as he had acknowledged, the affectionate scheme of the fond old woman, who was a slave to her adopted son. "I can scarcely advise you, Mrs. Bedge. Miss Hest is a lady--there can be no doubt on that point--and her character is above reproach; also, she is clever and strong-minded, the kind of companion Miss Dimsdale wants. For I should not think," he added after a pause, "that Miss Dimsdale was capable of managing her large fortune. I have seen very little of her since the funeral. I suppose the will was proved and she is in possession of her money?"
"There was no will," said Mrs. Bedge unexpectedly. "Constantine learned that from Ida herself. She merely inherited as next of kin, which is the same thing. Why poor Martin--I call Mr. Dimsdale, Martin, because I knew him for years and years," she explained in parentheses--"why poor Martin never made a will I can't say, but he did not."
"Strange," reflected Vernon musingly; "so business-like a man would certainly have made a will, I should have thought. However, as Miss Dimsdale has inherited as next-of-kin it doesn't matter; failing her, the money, I presume, would have gone to Lady Corsoon?"
"Certainly; but Ida, as a daughter of poor Martin, takes precedence of Julia as the sister. But think of all that money, Mr. Vernon, being at the mercy of an adventuress like Miss Hest."
"I don't think she is an adventuress, Mrs. Bedge, and I can't see how the money is at her mercy."
"I see it very plainly," said Mrs. Bedge with asperity. "Miss Hest has a most extraordinary influence over Ida, and not a healthy one, since she has permitted her to shut herself up for weeks."
"The natural grief of Miss Dimsdale----"
"There are bounds to grief," interrupted the old lady sharply, "and the young recover from sorrow quicker than do the aged. Poor Martin was a good father, and Ida does right to mourn him; but not to the ridiculous extent of shutting herself up for two months with that woman."
"You don't seem to like Miss Hest."