Indeed
there would be quite a competition to relieve Millicent of her
little difficulty. Besides, she could not marry more than one
person. Besides--besides--besides--the last word of Millicent and
her kind.
Lady Cantourne was not very communicative during that dainty little
tea a trois, but she listened smilingly to Jack's optimistic views
and Millicent's somewhat valueless comments.
"I am certain," said Millicent, at length boldly attacking the
question that was in all their minds, "that Sir John will be all
right now. Of course, it is only natural that he should not like
Jack to--to get engaged yet. Especially before, when it would have
made a difference to him--in money, I mean. But now that Jack is
independent--you know, auntie, that Jack is richer than Sir John--is
it not nice?"
"Very," answered Lady Cantourne, in a voice rather suggestive of
humouring a child's admiration of a new toy; "very nice indeed."
"And all so quickly!" pursued Millicent. "Only a few months--not
two years, you know. Of course, at first, the time went horribly
slow; but afterwards, when one got accustomed to it, life became
tolerable. You did not expect me to sit and mope all day, did you,
Jack?"
"No, of course not," replied Jack; and quite suddenly, as in a
flash, he saw his former self, and wondered vaguely whether he would
get back to that self.
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