“You can hardly call a person unfriended who has so much money at command, John,” Anna answered with timidity; but not without manifest interest in the subject. “A thousand dollars sounds like a large sum to me!”
“It is a good deal of money for a fee; though much more is sometimes given. I dare say Miss Monson would have gladly given the same to uncle Tom, if he would have taken it. Timms told me that she proposed offering as much to him; but be persuaded her to wait until the trial was over.”
“And where does all this money come from, John?”
“I’m sure I do not know—I am not at all in Miss Monson’s confidence; on her pecuniary affairs, at least. She does honour me so much as to consult me about her trial occasionally, it is true; but to me she has never alluded to money, except to ask me to obtain change for large notes. I do not see anything so very wonderful in a lady’s having money. You, who are a sort of heiress yourself, ought to know that.”
“I do not get money in thousands, I can assure you, Jack; nor do I think that I have it to get. I believe my whole income would not much more than meet the expenditure of this strange woman——”
“Do not call her woman, Anna; it pains me to hear you speak of her in such terms.”
“I beg her pardon and yours, Jack; but I meant no disrespect. We are all women.”
“I know it is foolish to feel nervous on such a subject; but I cannot help it. One connects so many ideas of vulgarity and crime, with prisons, and indictments, and trials, that we are apt to suppose all who are accused to belong to the commoner classes. Such is not the fact with Miss Monson, I can assure you. Not even Sarah—nay, not even yourself, my dear Anna, can pretend to more decided marks of refinement and education. I do not know a more distinguished young woman——”
“There, Jack; now you call her a woman yourself,” interrupted Anna, a little archly; secretly delighted at the compliment she had just heard.
“Young woman—anybody can say that, you know, without implying anything common or vulgar; and woman too, sometimes. I do not know how it was; but I did not exactly like the word as you happened to use it. I believe close and long watching is making me nervous; and I am not quite as much myself as usual.”