Part 8 (1/2)
”He changed his will, Tracy!”
”Hechangedhiswill! Then, my dear, must you have played your cards very badly!”
”'Twas not ht until the as read
Richard never spoke a word to me about it! And noe are conation, but his Grace only whistled beneath his breath
”I always knew, of course, that dick was a fool, but I never guessed how much so till now!”
At that she flared up
”He is not a fool! He is an honest man, and 'tis e, I tell youwho are mean and despicable and mercenary!”
”Undoubtedly, Lavinia, but pray do not excite yourself over it I suppose he is still devoted to that young hothead?”
”Yes, yes'tis all Jack, Jack, Jack, until I am sick to death of the sound of his na her lip
”And what?”
”Oh, nought! But 'tis all so disagreeable, Tracy!”
”It certainly is slightly disturbing You had better have chosen John, in spite of all, it seeood in being flippant?”
”My dear Lavinia, where's the good in being anything else? The situation strikesTo think of the worthy Richard so neatly overturning all ht never have married him Why did you throw them both in my way? Why did I ever set eyes on either?”
”It should have been a good htly, no one was rily and turned her shoulder to him
”Still,” he continued reflectively, ”I admit that for the sled the affair”
Lavinia swept round upon him
”Oh, do you care no more than that? How can you be so casual! Does it affect you not at all?”
He wrinkled his thin nose expressively
”I shall not weep over it, Lavinia, but 'tis a plaguey nuisance But we inal subject Despite these upsetting revelations, I still require that money”
”Oh, dear! How ht suffice”
”Tracy, do not the estates bring in anything?” she asked petulantly ”And Andrew told us you had a run of ht since?”
”Since then, my dear, I have had three runs of ed up to the hilt, as you very well know What little there is is between three And Robert is extravagant”
”I hate Robert!”
”I am not partial to hiht die!oh no, no! Now I aainI don't wish it only I a You shall have that money as soon as possible; but be careful, Tracyplease be careful! 'Tis not easy to get ine not However, we have ed rather well up to the present, take it all in all”
”Up to the present he has had all the ht!”
”Well, 'tis unfortunate, as I said before, but it must be endured Where is dick?”
”I know not You will stay to dinner, Tracy?”
”Thank you I shall be chariously pleasant it is to see you again! Soon I shall come to Andover Will you let me stay a few days?”
”The question is, will Richard allow you to stay so long inpresence?”
”Richard would never keep me away, Tracy!” she replied proudly ”He could not Oh, why is it that I don't love him more? Why do I not care for him as much as I care for you even?”
”My dear Lavinia, like all Belmanoirs, you care first for yourself and secondly for the man who masters you That, alas! Richard has not yet succeeded in doing”
”But I do love Richard I do, I do, yet-”
”Exactly 'Yet!' The 'grand passion' has not yet touched you, my dear, and you are quite self-absorbed”
”Self-absorbed! Those are hard words”
”But not too hard for the case You think solely of yourself, your own pleasure, your own character, your own feelings If you could cast yourself into the background a little, you would be less excitable and considerably less discontented”
”How dare you, Tracy! Pray, what of you? Are you so selfless?”
”Not at all I aht be happier an you could depose 'self'”
”You had best do the same yourself!”
”My dear Lavinia, when I feel the need of greater happiness, I most undoubtedly shall