f right and conscience,
"Blenking like Winking" was how a silent member had put it once to
Brumley in a gust of hostile criticism. "Practically if she marries
again, she is a pauper," struck on Brumley's ears.

"Of course," said Mr. Brumley, and stopped eating.

"I don't know if you remember the particulars of the Astor case," began
Munk....

Never had Mr. Brumley come so frankly to eavesdropping. But he heard no
more of Lady Harman. Munk had to quote the rights and wrongs of various
American wills, and then Mr. Pope seized his opportunity. "At East
Purblow," he went on, "in quite a number of instances we had to envisage
this problem of the widow----"

Mr. Brumley pushed back his plate and strolled towards the desk.

It was exactly what he might have expected, what indeed had been at the
back of his mind all along, and on the whole he was glad. Naturally she
hesitated; naturally she wanted time to think, and as naturally it was
impossible for her to tell him what it was she was thinking about.

They would marry. They must marry. Love has claims supreme over all
other claims and he felt no doubt that for her his comparative poverty
of two thousand a year would mean infinitely more happiness than she
had ever known or could know with Sir Isaac's wealth. She was reluctant,
of course, to become dependent upon him until he made it clear to her
what infinite pleasure it would be for him to supply her needs. Should
he write to her forthwith? He outlined a letter in his mind, a very fine
and generous letter, good phrases came, and then he reflected that it
would be difficult to explain to her just how he had learnt of her
peculiar situation. It would be far more seemly to wait either for a
public announcement or for some intimation from her.

And then he began to realize that this meant the end of all their work
at the Hostels. In his first satisfaction at escaping that possible
great motor-car and all the superfluities of Sir Isaac's accumulation,
he had forgotten that side of the business....

When one came to think it over, the Hostels did complicate the problem.
It was ingenious of Sir Isaac....

It was infernally ingenious of Sir Isaac....

He could not remain in the club for fear that somebody might presently
come talking to him and interrupt his train of thought. He went out into
the streets.

These Hostels upset everything.

What he had supposed to be a way of escape was really the mouth of a
net.

Whic