"Then don't you see how wrong it is to be living with him like this, and keeping him from doing his duty to himself and his family?"
"What is Everest's duty?" queried Regina, gazing at her visitor with genuine interest.
For the moment Miss Lanark was disconcerted. She had not really thought of that. The ordinary run of people make use of a number of set phrases, that have been composed for them and passed on by others, and the direct questions of the few who think for themselves generally bring confusion and discomfort upon them.
"Well ... er ... to ... er ... marry some proper and fitting person, and have children to inherit his name and estates."
"Wouldn't it be just as good for the family, and everybody, if his brother inherited them?"
Again Miss Lanark felt a little uncertain of her ground.
"No," she said, with some asperity, after a minute; "I don't think it would."
"But Everest was not doing all that when he met me," objected Regina. "He spent his time travelling about over the world, and loving and being loved by all sorts of people."
Miss Lanark drew herself together very rigidly on her chair, the lines of her mouth set.