Епоха невинності
Chapter 26
"Idon’tknowanythingofMadameOlenska’sprivateaffairs;butIdon’tneedto,tobecertainthatwhatyouinsinuate—""Oh,Idon’t:it’sLefferts,forone,"Mr.Jacksoninterposed."Lefferts—whomadelovetoherandgotsnubbedforit!"Archerbrokeoutcontemptuously."Ah—DIDhe?"snappedtheother,asifthiswereexactlythefacthehadbeenlayingatrapfor.Hestillsatsidewaysfromthefire,sothathishardoldgazeheldArcher’sfaceasifinaspringofsteel."Well,well:it’sapityshedidn’tgobackbeforeBeaufort’scropper,"herepeated."IfshegoesNOW,andifhefails,itwillonlyconfirmthegeneralimpression:whichisn’tbyanymeanspeculiartoLefferts,bytheway.""Oh,shewon’tgobacknow:lessthanever!"ArcherhadnosoonersaiditthanhehadoncemorethefeelingthatitwasexactlywhatMr.Jacksonhadbeenwaitingfor.Theoldgentlemanconsideredhimattentively."That’syouropinion,eh?Well,nodoubtyouknow.ButeverybodywilltellyouthatthefewpenniesMedoraMansonhasleftareallinBeaufort’shands;andhowthetwowomenaretokeeptheirheadsabovewaterunlesshedoes,Ican’timagine.Ofcourse,MadameOlenskamaystillsoftenoldCatherine,who’sbeenthemostinexorablyopposedtoherstaying;andoldCatherinecouldmakeheranyallowanceshechooses.Butweallknowthatshehatespartingwithgoodmoney;andtherestofthefamilyhavenoparticularinterestinkeepingMadameOlenskahere.
