"
"What do you mean by 'a piece of acting'?"
"That outburst of grief which my lady indulged in, when she found
herself mistress of Raynham."
"I believe that it was genuine," answered Mr. Dale, gravely.
"Oh, you think the inheritance a fitting subject for lamentation?"
"No, Reginald. I think a woman who had wronged her husband, and had
been the indirect cause of his death, might well feel sorrow when she
discovered how deeply she had been loved, and how fully she had been
trusted by that generous husband."
"Bah!" cried Reginald, contemptuously. "I tell you, man, Lady
Eversleigh is a consummate actress, though she never acted before a
better audience than the clodhoppers at a country fair. Do you know who
my lady was when Sir Oswald picked her out of the gutter? If you don't,
I'll enlighten you. She was a street ballad-singer, whom the baronet
found one night starving in the market-place of a country town. He
picked her up--out of charity; and because the creature happened to
have a pretty face, he was weak enough to marry her."
"Respect the follies of the dead," replied Lionel. "My uncle's love was
generous. I only regret that the object of it was so unworthy."
"Oh!" exclaimed Reginald, "I thought just now that you sympathized with
my lady."
"I sympathize with every remorseful sinner," said Lionel.
"Ah, that's your _shop_!" cried Reginald, who could not conceal his
bitter feelings.
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