'I don't think I would refuse ten thousands pounds,' said Wentworth,
'from anybody who offered it, woman or man. Perhaps we had better see
whether your men will subscribe as much before we throw away a
subscription already received.'
'But she hasn't the ten thousand pounds.'
'I fancy,' said Wentworth, 'that whatever Miss Longworth puts her name
to, she is ready to stand by;' and with that he placed the two pieces of
paper in a drawer. 'Now, I think that is all,' he added; 'we will call
the meeting for Monday, and see what comes of it.'
CHAPTER XXVI.
William Longworth had an eye for beauty. One of his eyes was generally
covered by a round disc of glass, save when the disc fell out of its
place and dangled in front of his waistcoat. Whether the monocle assisted
his sight or not, it is certain that William knew a pretty girl when he
saw her. One of the housemaids in the Longworth household left suddenly,
without just cause or provocation, as the advertisements say, and in her
place a girl was engaged who was so pretty that, when William Longworth
caught sight of her, his monocle dropped from its usual position, and he
stared at her with his two natural eyes, unassisted by science. He tried
to speak to her on one or two occasions when he met her alone; but he
could get no answer from the girl, who was very shy and demure, and knew
her place, as people say. All this only enhanced her value in young
Longworth's estimation, and he thought highly of his cousin's taste in
choosing this young person to dust the furniture.
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