‘Your mother was afraid?’ said Dora.
‘Because she thought herself unfitted for life in a large house, and feared we should think her in our way.’ She smiled sadly. ‘Poor mother! she is so humble and so good. I do hope that father will be kinder to her. But there’s no telling yet what the result of this may be. I feel guilty when I stand before him.’
‘But he must feel glad that you have five thousand pounds.’
Marian delayed her reply for a moment, her eyes down.
‘Yes, perhaps he is glad of that.’
‘Perhaps!’
‘He can’t help thinking, Dora, what use he could have made of it. It has always been his greatest wish to have a literary paper of his own—like The Study, you know. He would have used the money in that way, I am sure.’
‘But, all the same, he ought to feel pleasure in your good fortune.’
Marian turned to another subject.
‘Think of the Reardons; what a change all at once! What will they do, I wonder? Surely they won’t continue to live apart?’