you can take no manner of interest."
Miss Greeby pushed the point of her bludgeon into the spongy ground, and
looked thoughtful. "If Lambert loves Agnes still, which I don't
believe," she observed, after a pause, "he would marry her even if she
hadn't a shilling. Your will excluding him as her second husband is
merely the twisting of a rope of sand, Pine."
"You forget," said the man quickly, "that I declared also, he would have
to marry her in the face of Garvington's opposition."
"In what way?"
"Can't you guess? Garvington only allowed me to marry his sister because
I am a wealthy man. I absolutely bought my wife by helping him, and she
gave herself to me without love to save the family name from disgrace.
She is a good woman, is Agnes, and always places duty before
inclination. Marriage with her pauper cousin meant practically the
social extinction of the Lambert family, and nothing would have remained
but the title. Therefore she married me, and I felt mean at the time in
accepting the sacrifice. But I was so deeply in love with her that I did
so. I love her still, and I am mean enough still to be jealous of this
cousin. She shall never marry him, and I know that Garvington will
appeal to his sister's strong desire to save the family once more; so
that she may not be foolish enough to lose the money. And two millions,
more or less," ended Pine cynically, "is too large a sum to pay for a
second husband."
"Does Agnes know these conditions?"
"No. Nor do I intend that she should know. You hold your tongue."
Miss Greeby pulled on her heavy gloves and nodded. "I told you that I
had some notion of honor. Will you let Lambert know that you are in this
neighborhood?"
"No. There is no need. I am stopping here only for a time to see a
certain person. Silver will look after Agnes, and is coming to the camp
to report upon what he has observed."
"Silver then knows that you are Ishmael Hearne?"
"Yes. He knows all my secrets, and I can trust him thoroughly, since he
owes everything to me."
Miss Greeby laughed scornfully. "That a man of your age and experience
should believe in gratitude. Well, it's no business of mine. You may be
certain that for my own purpose I shall hold my tongue and shall keep
Lambert from seeking your wife. Not that he loves her," she added
hastily, as Pine's brows again drew together. "But she loves him, and
may use her arts--"
"Don't you dare to speak of arts in connection with my
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