e is very sad, and cannot be
long continued."

"I would have had you remain at the Cedars, Margaret; but you would
not be counselled by me."

"No; not in that, John."

"I only mention it now to excuse myself. But you are not to suppose
that I am not anxious about you, because I have not seen you. I have
been with Mr Slow constantly. These law questions are always very
tedious in being settled."

"But I want nothing for myself."

"It behoves Mr Slow, for that very reason, to be the more anxious on
your behalf; and, if you will believe me, Margaret, I am quite as
anxious as he is. If you had remained with us, I could have discussed
the matter with you from day to day; but, of course, I cannot do so
while you are here."

As he was talking in this way, everything with reference to their
past intercourse came across her mind. She could not tell him that
she had been anxious to see him, not with reference to the money,
but that he might tell her that he did not find her guilty on that
charge which her aunt had brought against her concerning Mr Maguire.
She did not want assurances of solicitude as to her future means
of maintenance. She cared little or nothing about her future
maintenance, if she could not get from him one kind word with
reference to the past. But he went on talking to her about Mr Slow,
and the interest, and the property, and the law, till, at last, in
her anger, she told him that she did not care to hear further about
it, till she should be told at last what she was to do.

"As I have got nothing of my own," she said, "I want to be earning my
bread, and I think that the delay is cruel."

"And do you think," said he, "that the delay is not cruel to me
also?"

She thought that he alluded to the fact that he could not yet obtain
possession of the income for his own purposes.

"You may have it all at once, for me," she said.

"Have all what?" he replied. "Margaret, I think you fail to see the
difficulties of my position. In the first place, my father is on his
deathbed!"

"Oh, John, I am sorry for that."

"And, then, my mother is very bitter about all this. And how can I,
at such a time, tell her that her opinion is to go for nothing? I am
bound to think of my own children, and cannot abandon my claim to the
property."

"No one wants you to abandon it. At least, I do not."

"What am I to do, then? This Mr Maguire is making charges against
me."

"Oh, John!"

"He is saying that I am robbi