Gould
assented that she could not be in better hands. Then Mrs. Evelyn (by
way of doing anything for her friend) undertook to make Elvira
welcome as long as it might be convenient, and was warmly thanked.
She further ascertained that the missing witness had been traced; and
that the most probable course of action would be that there would be
an amicable suit in the Probate Court and then another of ejectment.
Until these were over, things would remain in their present state for
how many weeks or months would depend upon the Law Courts, since Mrs.
Brownlow's trustees would be legally holders of the property until
the decision was given against them, and Miss Menella would be as
entirely dependent on her bounty as she had been all these years.
Meanwhile, as Mrs. Brownlow had no inclination to come to London and
exhibit herself as a disinherited heroine, Mr. Wakefield and the
Colonel strongly advised her remaining on at Belforest.
All this, Mrs. Evelyn had been anxious to understand, and thus was
more glad of the delay of Elvira and her aunt up-stairs than she
would have been, if she could ever have guessed what work a
designing, flattering tongue could make with a vain, frivolous,
selfish brain, with the same essential strain of vulgarity and
worldliness.
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