And
now comes the third portion of Sir Reginald's game--the substitution of
himself in Lady Verner's good graces for the nephew he has ousted. This
is only fair, after all. Dale cut him out with his uncle--he means to
cut Dale out with his aunt. You understand our programme now, Miss
Brewer, don't you?"
"Yes," she replied, slowly, "but I don't see why I should lend him any
assistance. It would be more to my interest that Douglas Dale should
inherit this lady's fortune; the richer Paulina's husband is, the
better for me."
"Unquestionably, my dear Miss Brewer," said Carrington. "But Dale will
not marry Paulina if Sir Reginald Eversleigh chooses to prevent it; and
Douglas Dale will not give you five hundred pounds for any services
whatever, because there are none which you can render him. I think you
can see that pretty plainly, Miss Brewer. And you can also see, I
presume, that, provided _I_ get _my_ money from Eversleigh, it is a
manner of total indifference to me whether he gets _Lady Verner's_
money, or whether Dale gets it. The only means by which I can get my
money is by detaching Sir Reginald from Paulina, and making him marry
the ironmonger's heiress. When that is done, and the money is paid, I
am perfectly satisfied that Dale should get the fortune, and I think it
very likely he will; but you must perceive that I cannot play my own
game except by appearing to play Reginald's.
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