surdly and self-consciously
trying to be solemn and learned. Louis beyond doubt was
self-conscious--acting as it were to impress his wife--and Batchgrew's
efforts to be hearty and youthful with the young roused her private
ridicule.

Moreover, nothing fresh emerged from the interview. She had known all
of it before from Louis. Batchgrew was merely repeating and resuming.
And Louis was listening with politeness to recitals with which he was
quite familiar. In words almost identical with those already reported
to her by Louis, Batchgrew insisted on the honesty and efficiency of
the valuer in Hanbridge, a lifelong friend of his own, who had for a
specially low fee put a price on the house at Bycars and its contents
for the purpose of a division between Louis and Julian. And now, as
previously with Louis, Rachel failed to comprehend how the valuer, if
he had been favourably disposed towards Louis, as Batchgrew averred,
could at the same time have behaved honestly towards Julian. But
neither Louis nor Batchgrew seemed to realize the point. They
both apparently flattered themselves with much simplicity upon the
partiality of the lifelong friend and valuer for Louis, without
perceiving the logical deduction that if he was partial he was a
rascal. Further, Thomas Batchgrew "rubbed Rachel the wrong way" by
subtly emphasizing his own marvellous abilities as a trustee and
executor, and by assuring Louis repeatedly that all conceivable books
of account, correspondence, and documents were open for his inspection
at any time. Batchgrew, in Rachel's opinion, might as well have said,
"You naturally suspect me of being a knave, but I can prove to you
that you are wrong."

Finally, they came to the grand total of Louis' inheritance, which
Rachel had known by heart for several days past; yet Batchgrew rolled
it out as a piece of tremendous news, and immediately afterwards
hinted that the sum represented less than the true worth of Louis'
inheritance, and that he, Batchgrew, as well as his lifelong friend
the valuer, had been influenced by a partiality for Louis. For
example, he had contrived to put all the house property, except the
house at Bycars, into Julian's share; which was extremely advantageous
for Louis because the federation of the Five Towns into one borough
had rendered property values the most capricious and least calculable
of all worldly possessions.... And Louis tried to smile knowingly at
the knowing trustee and execut