He stood near the table where his sister was writing as he said this. Then he took up a pen, and flung it down, fidgeted first on one leg, then on the other, finally walked to the window, still with Mrs. Frampton's letter in his hand, and remained there silent, with his back to Grace, for several minutes. She knew him too well not to see there was something on his mind—something which he desired to say to her, and yet found it difficult to express. She thought, not without a twinge of apprehension, of the various ladies to whom he had paid attention here. Could it be that he had entangled himself, more or less, with one of these? Her mind so little anticipated what was coming that she started and flushed when he said,
"There's something else in Aunt Su's letter which I think you ought to know, Grace. In fact, she says I'm to tell you. Because you're sure to hear of it sooner or later. People are full of it. There's fresh evidence against Lawrence."
Her face hardened. She closed her lips tight for a moment, and in her clear blue eyes there was a momentary flash, as she said, quickly,
"What is it?"
"They've found the draft of another will, dated some years back, by which his uncle left the bulk of his fortune to his other nephew, Giles Tracy, and only ten thousand pounds to Ivor Lawrence."
"You call that evidence against him? What does that prove?" she asked, hotly.
"It only proves that before Ivor got the influence over his uncle which he exercised latterly, the old chap meant to leave his estates not to his sister's son, but to his brother's son, as was natural, and as it was understood he would do."
"Understood by whom? By Mr. Giles Tracy, I suppose, who took to gambling on the strength of this prospective fortune! And why was it 'natural,' pray, that a man who had made—not inherited—his large fortune, like old Mr. Tracy, should leave it to a spendthrift, a vautrien, instead of to a clever rising barrister like his other nephew, whose character was universally respected?"
"Well, it isn't universally respected now, Grace."
"The more shame for those who are ready to believe any foul accusation on such evidence!" Her cheeks were aflame, and her voice shook as she spoke. "Evidence? It is too childish to call this evidence. According to your own showing, all it proves is that the old man once—before he knew how young Tracy would turn out—meant to make him his heir. He discovered in time the comparative worth of both his nephews."