But I
suppose there'll be no need for him to think of that now.'
'Surely not!'
'Oh there's no saying.'
'Why should he do work of that kind now?'
'Perhaps his wife will tell him that she wants her money all for
herself.'
Marian laughed. It was very rarely that Jasper had heard her
laugh at all, and never so spontaneously as this. He liked the
music.
'You haven't a very good opinion of Mrs Reardon,' she said.
'She is a difficult person to judge. I never disliked her, by any
means; but she was decidedly out of place as the wife of a
struggling author. Perhaps I have been a little prejudiced
against her since Reardon quarrelled with me on her account.'
Marian was astonished at this unlooked-for explanation of the
rupture between Milvain and his friend. That they had not seen
each other for some months she knew from Jasper himself but no
definite cause had been assigned.
'I may as well let you know all about it,' Milvain continued,
seeing that he had disconcerted the girl, as he meant to. 'I met
Reardon not long after they had parted, and he charged me with
being in great part the cause of his troubles.
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