He prepared to listen to her with a disconnected smile of acute
attentiveness.
She had changed. She spoke of money. Ten thousand pounds must be settled
on his daughter. 'And now,' said she, 'you will remember that you are
wanting a collar.'
He acquiesced. He craved permission to retire for ten minutes.
'Simplest of men! what will cover you?' she exclaimed, and peremptorily
bidding him sit down in the drawing-room, she took one of the famous pair
of pistols in her hand, and said, 'If I put myself in a similar position,
and make myself decodletee too, will that satisfy you? You see these
murderous weapons. Well, I am a coward. I dread fire-arms. They are laid
there to impose on the world, and I believe they do. They have imposed on
you. Now, you would never think of pretending to a moral quality you do
not possess. But, silly, simple man that you are! You can give yourself
the airs of wealth, buy horses to conceal your nakedness, and when you
are taken upon the standard of your apparent income, you would rather
seem to be beating a miserly retreat than behave frankly and honestly.
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