You hardly wanted more."
"Just so. I wanted no more than that."
"It was made, perhaps, before you knew him."
"He was always making it, and always altering it. He left me money,
and jewels of enormous value."
"I am so glad to hear it."
"But I have refused to take anything. Am I not right?"
"I don't know why you should refuse."
"There are people who will say that--I was his mistress. If a woman
be young, a man's age never prevents such scandal. I don't know that
I can stop it, but I can perhaps make it seem to be less probable.
And after all that has passed, I could not bear that the Pallisers
should think that I clung to him for what I could get. I should be
easier this way."
"Whatever is best to be done, you will do it;--I know that."
"Your praise goes beyond the mark, my friend. I can be both generous
and discreet;--but the difficulty is to be true. I did take one
thing,--a black diamond that he always wore. I would show it you, but
the goldsmith has it to make it fit me. When does the great affair
come off at the House?"
"The bill will be read again on Monday, the first.
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