He tried to express
his approval and admiration in words. Mrs. Lecount held up her hand
warningly and closed his lips.
"Wait, sir, before you express your opinion," she went on. "Half the
difficulty is all that we have conquered yet. Let us say, the admiral
has made the use of your legacy which you have privately requested him
to make of it. Sooner or later, however well the secret may be kept,
your wife will discover the truth. What follows that discovery! She lays
siege to Mr. George. All you have done is to leave him the money by a
roundabout way. There he is, after an interval of time, as much at
her mercy as if you had openly mentioned him in your will. What is the
remedy for this? The remedy is to mislead her, if we can, for the
second time--to set up an obstacle between her and the money, for the
protection of your cousin George. Can you guess for yourself, Mr. Noel,
what is the most promising obstacle we can put in her way?"
He shook his head. Mrs. Lecount smiled, and startled him into close
attention by laying her hand on his arm.
"Put a Woman in her way, sir!" she whispered in her wiliest tones. "_We_
don't believe in that fascinating beauty of hers--whatever _you_ may do.
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