It was hardly to be
expected that she should do so. She paid a great deal for Miss Macnulty.
In a moment of rash generosity, and at a time when she hardly knew what
money meant, she had promised Miss Macnulty seventy pounds for the first
year and seventy for the second, should the arrangement last longer than a
twelvemonth. The second year had been now commenced, and Lady Eustace was
beginning to think that seventy pounds was a great deal of money when so
very little was given in return. Lady Linlithgow had paid her dependent no
fixed salary. And then there was the lady's "keep" and first-class
travelling when they went up and down to Scotland, and cab-fares in London
when it was desirable that Miss Macnulty should absent herself. Lizzie,
reckoning all up, and thinking that for so much her friend ought to be
ready to discuss Ianthe's soul, or any other kindred subject, at a
moment's warning, would become angry and would tell herself that she was
being swindled out of her money. She knew how necessary it was that she
should have some companion at the present emergency of her life, and
therefore could not at once send Miss Macnulty away; but she would
sometimes become very cross and would tell poor Macnulty that she was--a
fool.
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