"You know we have very little money to spend," she said, as Rowland
remained silent. "Roderick tells me that he has debts and nothing at all
to pay them with. He says I must write to Mr. Striker to sell my house
for what it will bring, and send me out the money. When the money comes
I must give it to him. I 'm sure I don't know; I never heard of anything
so dreadful! My house is all I have. But that is all Roderick will say.
We must be very economical."
Before this speech was finished Mrs. Hudson's voice had begun to quaver
softly, and her face, which had no capacity for the expression of
superior wisdom, to look as humbly appealing as before. Rowland turned
to Roderick and spoke like a school-master. "Come away from those
statues, and sit down here and listen to me!"
Roderick started, but obeyed with the most graceful docility.
"What do you propose to your mother to do?" Rowland asked.
"Propose?" said Roderick, absently. "Oh, I propose nothing."
The tone, the glance, the gesture with which this was said were horribly
irritating (though obviously without the slightest intention of being
so), and for an instant an imprecation rose to Rowland's lips.
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