'
'I am not sure that you would have gained much. I doubt whether he
knows much about her, poor fellow. But the letters?'
'He wrote that she had been a good deal with Professor Sefton's family,
and he thought they might like to keep up their intercourse.'
'Nothing about Flinders? He ought to have warned you.'
'No. Who is he?'
'A half-brother--no, a step-brother to poor Mary. He was the son by a
former marriage of her father's first wife, and has been always a thorn
in their sides. He is a low, dissipated kind of creature; writes
theatrical criticisms for third-rate papers, or something of that kind,
when he is at his best. I believe Mary was really fond of him, and
helped him more than Maurice could well bear, and since her death the
man has perfectly pestered him with appeals to her memory. I really
believe one reason he welcomed this post was to get out of his reach.'
'You always know everything Jenny. Now how did you know this?'
'I called once in the midst of an interview between him and Mary. And
afterwards I came on poor Maurice when he was really very much
provoked, and had it all out; ad since her death--well, I saw him get a
begging letter from the man, and he spoke of it again. I wish I had
advised him to warn you against the wretch.'
'I don't suppose he knows where the child is. He is no relation to
her, you say?'
'None at all, happily. But on that occasion, when I was an
uncomfortable third, Maurice was very angry that she should have been
allowed to call him Uncle Alfred; and Mary screwed up her little mouth,
and evidently rather liked the aggravation to Mohun pride.
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