Page:Gaskell - North and South, vol. II, 1855.djvu/239

 think they've the best right to her. Captain Lennox married her cousin—the girl she was brought up with. Good enough people, I dare say. And there's her aunt, Mrs. Shaw. There might be a way open, perhaps, by my offering to marry that worthy lady! but that would be quite a pis aller. And then there's that brother!"

What brother? A brother of her aunt's?"

“No, no; a clever Lennox, (the captain's a fool, you must understand); a young barrister, who will be setting his cap at Margaret. I know he has had her in his mind this five years or more; one of his chums told me as much; and he was only kept back by her want of fortune. Now that will be done away with."

"How?" asked Mr. Thornton, too earnestly curious to be aware of the impertinence of his question.

"Why, she'll have my money at my death. And if this Henry Lennox is half good enough for her, and she likes him—well! I might find another way of getting a home through a marriage. I'm dreadfully afraid of being tempted, at an unguarded moment, by the aunt."

Neither Mr. Bell nor Mr. Thornton was in a laughing humour; so the oddity of any of the speeches which the former made was unnoticed by them. Mr. Bell whistled, without emitting any sound beyond a long hissing breath; changed his seat, without finding comfort or rest; while Mr. Thornton sat immoveably still, his eyes fixed on one spot in the newspaper, which he had taken up in order to give himself leisure to think.