"It is I that am to leave it to you. It is not to be a present from Frederic." "It is the same thing, aunt. He says you are to do it; and you told me just now that it was to come out of his pocket." "I should have done it myself long ago, had you told me all the truth about your father's affairs." "How was I to tell you? I would sooner have bitten my tongue out. But I will tell you the truth now. If I had known that all this was to be said to me about money, and that our poverty was to be talked over between you and Captain Aylmer, I would not have come to Perivale. I would rather that you should be angry with me and think that I had forgotten you." "You would not say that, Clara, if you remembered that this will probably be your last visit to me." "No, no; it will not be the last. But do not talk about these things. And it will be so much better that I should be here when he is not here." "I had hoped that when I died you might both be with me together,--as husband and wife." "Such hopes never come to anything." "I still think that he would wish it." "That is nonsense, aunt. It is indeed, for neither of us wish it." A lie on such a subject from a woman under such circumstances is hardly to be considered a lie at all. It is spoken with no mean object, and is the only bulwark which the woman has ready at her need to cover her own weakness. "From what he said yesterday," continued Mrs. Winterfield, "I think it is your own fault." "Pray,--pray do not talk in that way. It cannot be matter of any fault that two people do not want to marry each other." "Of course I asked him no positive question. It would be indelicate even in me to have done that. But he spoke as though he thought very highly of you." "No doubt he does. And so do I of Mr. Possitt." "Mr. Possitt is a very excellent young man," said Mrs. Winterfield, gravely. Mr. Possitt was, indeed, her favourite curate at Perivale, and always dined at the house on Sundays between services, when Mrs. Winterfield was very particular in seeing that he took two glasses of her best port wine to support him. "But Mr. Possitt has nothing but his curacy." "There is no danger, aunt, I can assure you." "I don't know what you call danger; but Frederic seemed to think that you are always sharp with him. You don't want to quarrel with him, I hope, because I love him better than any one in the world?" "Oh, aunt, what cruel things you say to me without thinking of them!" "I do not mean to be cruel, but I will say nothing more about him. As I told you before, that I had not thought it expedient to leave away any portion of my little property from Frederic,--believing as I did then, that the money intended for you by your father was still remaining,--it is best that you should now know that I have at last learnt the truth, and that I will at once see my lawyer about making this change." "Dear aunt, of course I thank you."