fe.
I'm trying to keep them from getting the better of your mother as well
as from getting the better of me, don't you suppose? Well, they're in
a rage because Sydney always could do what he liked with father unless
your mother interfered, and they know I got Isabel to ask him not to
do what they wanted. They're keeping up the fight and they're sore--and
Amelia's a woman who always says any damn thing that comes into her
head! That's all there is to it."

"But she said," George persisted wretchedly; "she said there was talk.
She said--"

"Look here, young fellow!" Amberson laughed good-naturedly. "There
probably is some harmless talk about the way your Aunt Fanny goes after
poor Eugene, and I've no doubt I've abetted it myself. People can't help
being amused by a thing like that. Fanny was always languishing at him,
twenty-odd years ago, before he left here. Well, we can't blame the poor
thing if she's got her hopes up again, and I don't know that I blame
her, myself, for using your mother the way she does."

"How do you mean?"

Amberson put his hand on George's shoulder. "You like to tease Fanny,"
he said, "but I wouldn't tease her about this, if I were you. Fanny
hasn't got much in her life. You know, Georgie, just being an aunt isn't
really the great career it may sometimes appear to you! In fact, I
don't know of anything much that Fanny has got, except her feeling
about Eugene. She's always had it--and what's funny to us is pretty much
life-and-death to her, I suspect. Now, I'll not deny that Eugene Morgan
is attracted to your mother. He is; and that's another case of 'always
was'; but I know him, and he's a knight, George--a crazy one, perhaps,
if you've read 'Don Quixote.' And I think your mother likes him better
than she likes any man outside her own family, and that he interests her
more than anybody else--and 'always has.' And that's all there is to it,
except--"

"Except what?" George asked quickly, as he paused.

"Except that I suspect--" Amberson chuckled, and began over: "I'll tell
you in confidence. I think Fanny's a fairly tricky customer, for such an
innocent old girl! There isn't any real harm in her, but she's a great
diplomatist--lots of cards up her lace sleeves, Georgie! By the way,
did you ever notice how proud she is of her arms? Always flashing 'em at
poor Eugene!" And he stopped to laugh again.

"I don't see anything confidential about that," George complained. "I
thought--"

"Wait a