Eustace spoke as a lawyer; his professional instincts were outraged.
He should certainly call upon the Jacks' and utterly dissociate
himself from his sister in this lamentable affair.
"Why, what a shock it will be to Mrs. Jacks!"
"She'll get over it, I fancy," remarked the Doctor drily.
The young barrister withdrew to his room, where he read hard until
very late. Eustace was no trifler; he had brains, and saw his way to
make use of them to the one end which addressed his imagination,
that of social self-advancement. His studies to-night were troubled
with a resentful fear lest Irene's "unwomanly" behaviour (a
generation ago it would have been "unladylike") should bring the
family name into some discredit. Little ejaculations escaped him,
such as "Really!" and "Upon my word!" Eustace had never been known
to use stronger language.
When his son had retired, Dr. Derwent stepped up to the
drawing-room, where Olga Hannaford was sitting. After kindly
regretting that she should be alone, he repeated to his niece what
he had just told Eustace. Doubtless she would here very soon from
Irene.
"I have already heard something about this," said Olga. "I'm sure
she has done right, but no one will ever know what it cost her."
"That's the very point we have all been losing sight of," observed
her uncle, gratified. "It would have been a good deal easier, no
doubt, to go on to the marriage.
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