Ethel paused a moment. Letty was leaning forward deeply interested.
“Did he leave me money for a pair of pearl bracelets?” she cried.
“No. He made you his residuary legatee, after giving away a few thousand dollars to other people,” answered Ethel.
Letty was quick of wit, and took in at once what Ethel meant. Mr. Romaine had left her his fortune.
She grew a little pale and lay back in her chair. Her first feelings were full of contradictions, as her emotions always were where Mr. Romaine was concerned. Money was a delightful thing—she had found that out—but Mr. Romaine’s money! And sometimes she hated Mr. Romaine, and laughed at him behind his back—and now she would have to be very attentive to him, and to let him see that she felt her obligations to him. While this was passing through her mind in a chaotic way, she suddenly remembered to ask:
“Did Mr. Romaine authorize you to tell me this?”
“Not exactly,” said Ethel. “But he said nothing about keeping it secret, and Reggie says he is convinced Mr. Romaine wishes us to mention it—for he is a very secretive man usually, and never omits any precaution when he wishes a thing kept quiet.”
Letty remained strangely still and silent. She was staggered by what Ethel told her, and thoroughly puzzled—and she had a vague feeling that Mr. Romaine had taken an unwarrantable liberty with her.
“I think,” said Ethel, “that he wants to marry you, and he imagines this will incline you to him.”
“In that case,” replied Letty, rising with dignity, “Mr. Romaine makes a very great mistake. Nothing on earth would induce me to marry him.”