But his face had again some of its old, bright handsomeness. Hadrian sat
quiet, a little aside: the indomitable, dangerous charity boy.
'There's the will,' said their father, pointing them to the paper.
The two women sat mute and immovable, they took no notice.
'Either you marry Hadrian, or he has everything,' said the father with
satisfaction.
'Then let him have everything,' said Matilda boldly.
'He's not! He's not!' cried Emmie fiercely. 'He's not going to have it.
The guttersnipe!'
An amused look came on her father's face.
'You hear that, Hadrian,' he said.
'I didn't offer to marry Cousin Matilda for the money,' said Hadrian,
flushing and moving on his seat.
Matilda looked at him slowly, with her dark-blue, drugged eyes. He seemed
a strange little monster to her.
'Why, you liar, you know you did,' cried Emmie.
The sick man laughed. Matilda continued to gaze strangely at the young
man.
'She knows I didn't,' said Hadrian.
He too had his courage, as a rat has indomitable courage in the end.
Hadrian had some of the neatness, the reserve, the underground quality of
the rat. But he had perhaps the ultimate courage, the most unquenchable
courage of all.
Emmie looked at her sister.
'Oh, well,' she said. 'Matilda--don't bother. Let him have everything, we
can look after ourselves.'
'I know he'll take everything,' said Matilda, abstractedly.
Hadrian did not answer.
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