"Wasn't it a good enough pretext for the pleasure of seeing you, John?"
"An excellent pretext where none was wanted. It is very kind of you to think it a pleasure: but you had something also to say?"
"It seems there is no deceiving you, John," she said, and with many hesitations and much difficulty, told him her story. She saw him begin to flame. She saw his eyes light up, and Mrs. Dennistoun shook in her chair. She was not a woman apt to be afraid, but she was frightened now.
Nevertheless, when she had finished her story, John at first spoke no word: and when he did find a tongue it was only to say,
"You want to get back the money you have on that mortgage. My dear aunt, why did not you tell me so at once?"
"Well, so be it. You know it will take a little time; there are some formalities that must be gone through. You cannot make a demand on people in that way to pay you cash at once."
"Oh, I thought it was so easy to get money--on such very good security and paying such a good adequate rate of interest."
"It is easy," he said, "perfectly easy; but it wants a little time: and people will naturally wonder, if it is really good security and good interest, why you should be in such a hurry to get out of it."
"But surely, to say private reasons--family reasons, that will be enough."
"Oh, there is no occasion for giving any reason at all. You wish to do it; that is reason enough."
"Yes," said Mrs. Dennistoun, with diffidence, yet also a little self-assertion, "I think it is enough."
"Of course, of course." But his eyes were flaming, and Mrs. Dennistoun would not allow herself to believe that she had got off. "And may I ask--not that I have any right to ask, for of course you have better advisers--what do you mean to put the money in, when you have got it back?"
"Oh, John," said Mrs. Dennistoun, "you are implacable, though you pretend different. You know what I want with the money, and you disapprove of it, and so do I. I am going to throw it away. I know that just as well as you do, and I am ashamed of myself: but I am going to do it all the same."
"You are going to give it to Elinor? I don't think there is anything to disapprove of in that. It is the most natural thing in the world."