She
had spoken to him, a week before, for the first time in several
years--about money. She had made twenty-two thousand pounds
out of the Branshaw land and seven by the letting of Branshaw
furnished. By fortunate investments--in which Edward had helped
her--she had made another six or seven thousand that might well
become more. The mortgages were all paid off, so that, except for
the departure of the two Vandykes and the silver, they were as
well off as they had been before the Dolciquita had acted the
locust. It was Leonora's great achievement. She laid the figures
before Edward, who maintained an unbroken silence.
"I propose," she said, "that you should resign from the Army and
that we should go back to Branshaw. We are both too ill to stay
here any longer."
Edward said nothing at all.
"This," Leonora continued passionlessly, "is the great day of my
life."
Edward said:
"You have managed the job amazingly. You are a wonderful
woman." He was thinking that if they went back to Branshaw they
would leave Maisie Maidan behind. That thought occupied him
exclusively. They must, undoubtedly, return to Branshaw; there
could be no doubt that Leonora was too ill to stay in that place.
Pages:
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248