"When I come back to-morrow," he said, "the will must be opened and read. It had better be done here." They were sitting over the fire in the dining-room, after dinner, and Clara knew that the coming back to which he alluded was his return from the funeral. But she made no answer to this, as she wished to say nothing about her aunt's will. "And after that," he continued, "you had better let me take you out."
"I am very well," she said. "I do not want any special taking out."
"But you have been confined to the house the whole week."
"Women are accustomed to that, and do not feel it as you would. However, I will walk with you if you'll take me."
"Of course I'll take you. And then we must settle our future plans. Have you fixed upon any day yet for returning? Of course, the longer you stay, the kinder you will be."
"I can do no good to any one by staying."
"You do good to me;--but I suppose I'm nobody. I wish I could tell what to do about this house. Dear, good old woman! I know she would have wished that I should keep it in my own hands, with some idea of living here at some future time;--but of course I never shall live here."
"I am not Member of Parliament for Perivale, and should not be the leading person in the town. You would be a sort of king here; and then, some day, you will have your mother's property as well as your aunt's; and you would be near to your own tenants."
"But that does not answer my question. Could you bring yourself to live here,--even if it were your own?"
"Because it is so deadly dull;--because it has no attraction whatever;--because of all lives it is the one you would like the least. No one should live in a provincial town but they who make their money by doing so."
"And what are the wives and daughters of such people to do,--and especially their widows? I have no doubt I could live here very happily if I had anybody near me that I liked. I should not wish to have to depend altogether on Mr. Possitt for society."
"Mr. Possitt has been with me twice whilst you were away, and he, too, asked what you meant to do about the house."
"What could I say? Of course I said I did not know. I suppose he was meditating whether you would live here and ask him to dinner on Sundays!"