The object of his visit to Finn's lodgings has been
explained, but the nature of Lady Laura's vehemence in urging upon
her brother the performance of a very disagreeable task has not been
sufficiently described. No brother would willingly go on such a
mission from a married sister to a man who had been publicly named
as that sister's lover;--and no brother could be less likely to do
so than Lord Chiltern. But Lady Laura had been very stout in her
arguments, and very strong-willed in her purpose. The income arising
from this money,--which had been absolutely her own,--would again be
exclusively her own should the claim to it on behalf of her husband's
estate be abandoned. Surely she might do what she liked with her own.
If her brother would not assist her in making this arrangement, it
must be done by other means. She was quite willing that it should
appear to come to Mr. Finn from her father and not from herself. Did
her brother think any ill of her? Did he believe in the calumnies of
the newspapers? Did he or his wife for a moment conceive that she
had a lover? When he looked at her, worn out, withered, an old woman
before her time, was it possible that he should so believe? She
herself asked him these questions.
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