"
"You have to use the influence which your position _aupres de_ Madame
Durski gives you. You can keep her situation constantly before her, you
can perpetually harp upon its exigencies--they are pressing, are they
not? Yes--then make them more pressing. Expose her to the constant
worry and annoyance of poverty, make no effort to hide the
inconvenience of ruin. She is a bad manager, of course--all women of
her sort are bad managers. Don't help her--make the very worst of
everything. Then, you can take every opportunity of pointing out
Reginald's neglect, all his defalcations, the cruelty of his conduct to
her, the evidence of his never intending to marry her, the selfishness
which makes him indifferent to her troubles, and unwilling to help her.
Work on pride, on pique, on jealousy, on the love of comfort and
luxury, and the horror of poverty and privation, which are always
powerful in the minds of women like Madame Durski. Don't talk much to
her at first about Douglas Dale, especially until he has come to town
and has resumed his visiting here; but take care that her difficulties
press heavily upon her, and that she is kept in mind that help or hope
from Reginald there is none. I have no doubt whatever that Dale will
propose to her, if he does not see her infatuation for Reginald."
"But suppose Mr. Dale does not come here at all?" asked Miss Brewer;
"he has broken through the habit now, and he may have thought it over,
and determined to keep away.
Pages:
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521