Nappie in the field."
So he remained at the castle and took a walk with Mr. Mealyus. Mr. Mealyus
asked a good many questions about Portray, and exhibited the warmest
sympathy with Lizzie's widowed condition. He called her a "sweet, gay,
unsophisticated, light-hearted young thing."
"She is very young," replied her cousin. "Yes," he continued, in answer to
further questions; "Portray is certainly very nice. I don't know what the
income is. Well, yes. I should think it is over a thousand. Eight! No, I
never heard it said that it was as much as that." When Mr. Mealyus put it
down in his mind as five, he was not void of acuteness, as very little
information had been given to him.
There was a joke throughout the castle that Mr. Mealyus had fallen in love
with Miss Macnulty. They had been a great deal together on those hunting
days; and Miss Macnulty was unusually enthusiastic in praise of his manner
and conversation. To her, also, had been addressed questions as to Portray
and its income, all of which she had answered to the best of her ability;
not intending to betray any secret, for she had no secret to betray; but
giving ordinary information on that commonest of all subjects, our
friends' incomes.
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