“Oh, of course, I remember,” continued Harriet, “you don’t care about money, and all that kind of thing. Still you married Baron van Helmont. Yes, I know; he’s not as old as Mopius. Don’t interrupt me. All I wanted to tell you was this: When I married, I looked to my marriage settlements. Your uncle has plenty of money, and I secured a handsome jointure, but, unless I should still have children, the bulk of his property goes to you and your heirs. I told him to make that arrangement and saw to his doing it. I don’t want money for money’s sake, nor more than I’m entitled to. Good-night.”
“Good-night,” echoed Ursula, and drew hesitatingly nearer.
“Don’t,” said the bride, holding her aloof. “I’m all right, thanks. What a dear little boy you have! Good-night.”
CHAPTER XXIX
THE BLOT ON THE SNOW
The brothers got on very well at first; they sat silent or talked about things which interested neither. They were as little as possible alone.
Gradually, however, Gerard’s persistent lightheartedness produced the opposite effect of a dead weight on the other man. His very laugh, so easy, so frequent, jarred on Otto’s hearing.
“Debt is theft,” thought Otto. “How can he find it in his heart to laugh with such debts as his?” And the Baron bent once more, with a resolute sigh, over his weary pile of accounts.