'
'Yes, I feel that it is,' she replied.
'Mrs Reardon ought to be very grateful to you, Milvain. By-the-
by, do you ever see her?'
'I have met her only once since his death--by chance.'
'Of course she will marry again. I wonder who'll be the fortunate
man?'
'Fortunate, do you think?' asked Dora quietly, without looking at
him.
'Oh, I spoke rather cynically, I'm afraid,' Whelpdale hastened to
reply. 'I was thinking of her money. Indeed, I knew Mrs Reardon
only very slightly.'
'I don't think you need regret it,' Dora remarked.
'Oh, well, come, come!' put in her brother. 'We know very well
that there was little enough blame on her side.'
'There was great blame!' Dora exclaimed. 'She behaved shamefully!
I wouldn't speak to her; I wouldn't sit down in her company!'
'Bosh! What do you know about it? Wait till you are married to a
man like Reardon, and reduced to utter penury.'
'Whoever my husband was, I would stand by him, if I starved to
death.'
'If he ill-used you?'
'I am not talking of such cases. Mrs Reardon had never anything
of the kind to fear.
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