Venture to appear as
disinterested as you are!" said Mrs. Penniman ingeniously. Morris
dropped his eyes on the sanded floor again, pondering this; and she
pursued. "Mr. Penniman and I had nothing, and we were very happy.
Catherine, moreover, has her mother's fortune, which, at the time my
sister-in-law married, was considered a very handsome one."
"Oh, don't speak of that!" said Morris; and, indeed, it was quite
superfluous, for he had contemplated the fact in all its lights.
"Austin married a wife with money--why shouldn't you?"
"Ah! but your brother was a doctor," Morris objected.
"Well, all young men can't be doctors!"
"I should think it an extremely loathsome profession," said Morris,
with an air of intellectual independence. Then in a moment, he went
on rather inconsequently, "Do you suppose there is a will already
made in Catherine's favour?"
"I suppose so--even doctors must die; and perhaps a little in mine,"
Mrs. Penniman frankly added.
"And you believe he would certainly change it--as regards Catherine?"
"Yes; and then change it back again."
"Ah, but one can't depend on that!" said Morris.
"Do you want to DEPEND on it?" Mrs. Penniman asked.
Morris blushed a little. "Well, I am certainly afraid of being the
cause of an injury to Catherine."
"Ah! you must not be afraid. Be afraid of nothing, and everything
will go well!"
And then Mrs.
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