Mountjoy concluded that the subject was disagreeable to her. "After the
opinion of him which you expressed in your letter to me," he said, "I
ought not to have spoken of the doctor. Pray forgive me."
Iris looked distressed. "Oh, you are quite mistaken! The poor doctor
has been sadly misjudged; and I"--she shook her head, and sighed
penitently--"and, I," she resumed, "am one among other people who have
ignorantly wronged him. Pray consult my husband. Hear what he can tell
you--and you will pity Mr. Vimpany. The newspaper makes such large
demands on our means that we can do little to help him. With your
recommendation he might find some employment."
"He has already asked me to assist him, Iris; and I have refused. I
can't agree with your change of opinion about Mr. Vimpany."
"Why not? Is it because he has separated from his wife?"
"That is one reason, among many others," Mountjoy replied.
"Indeed, indeed you are wrong! Lord Harry has known Mrs. Vimpany for
years, and he says--I am truly sorry to hear it--that the separation is
her fault."
Hugh changed the subject again. The purpose which had mainly induced
him to leave England had not been mentioned yet.
Alluding to the newspaper, and to the heavy pecuniary demands made by
the preliminary expenses of the new journal, he reminded Iris that
their long and intimate friendship permitted him to feel some interest
in her affairs. "I won't venture to express an opinion," he added; "let
me only ask if Lord Harry's investments in this speculation have
compelled him to make some use of your little fortune?"
"My husband refused to touch my fortune," Iris answered. "But"--She
paused, there. "Do you know how honourably, how nobly, he has behaved?"
she abruptly resumed. "He has insured his life: he has burdened himself
with the payment of a large sum of money every year. And all for me, if
I am so unfortunate (which God forbid!) as to survive him. When a large
share in the newspaper was for sale, do you think I could be ungrateful
enough to let him lose the chance of making our fortune, when the
profits begin to come in? I insisted on advancing the money--we almost
quarrelled about it--but, you know how sweet he is. I said: 'Don't
distress me'; and the dearest of men let me have my own way."
Mountjoy listened in silence. To have expressed what he felt would have
been only to mortify and offend Iris. Old habit (as he had said) had
made the idea of devoting himself to her interests the uppermost idea
in his mind. He asked if the money had all been spent. Hearing that
some of it was still left, he resolved on making the attempt to secure
the remains of her fortune to herself.