"I know roughly how much she ought to have," said D'Herbourg. "Deelhof the solicitor was saying the other day ..."
"How much?" asked Ina, eagerly; and the weary eyes brightened up.
But, because he saw an expression of pain come over his father-in-law's face and wrinkle it and because he did not know whether the pain was physical or moral, arising from gastritis or from nerves, D'Herbourg evaded the question. It was difficult, however, to stop at once, even though Papa did look pained, and so he said:
"Aunt Stefanie must be comfortably off."
"Yes, but I should think," said Ina, "considering how Uncle Anton used to hoard while he was a resident, that he's much better off than Aunt Stefanie. As an unmarried man, he never entertained during his term of office: that I know for a fact. The resident's house was tumbling to pieces when he left it after eight years...."
"But Uncle Anton is an old reprobate," said D'Herbourg, forcibly, "and that cost him money."
"No!" said Harold Dercksz.
He said it as though in pain, waving his hand in a gesture of denial; but he had no sooner uttered this single word in defence of his brother than he regretted it, for Ina asked, eagerly:
"No, Papa? But surely Uncle Anton's life won't bear investigation ..."
And D'Herbourg asked: