The House of Mirth Page #4

one of these days.

Would you do me a favour?

A very great favour?

Of course.

I don't mean to bore you

with all of this

but I am entirely dependent

upon my aunt.

And though she is very kind

she gives me no regular allowance.

I have a tiny income of my own

but it has been badly invested.

It seems to bring in

less and less each year.

And recently

I have lost money at cards.

I have paid off my debts

but I dare not tell my aunt.

I can no longer go on

living my present life.

And Percy Gryce?

I can't make that sort of marriage.

And so you gave him the sack.

That's why he left this morning.

If you will trust me

I can make you a handsome sum

without endangering your capital.

I am so ignorant about money matters

and I would be so grateful

to have a good advisor.

Leave it to me. I'll find a

solution.

Really, Lily, you're as

frivolous as your parents were -

I don't see why you got to Bellomont

if you don't remember

whom you saw there.

But there was no one new

just the usual throng.

- Was Mr Selden there?

- Yes, he came later.

And Mr Rosedale, was he there?

No, of course not. Why do you ask?

Oh, passing interest merely.

Mr Selden tells me that socially

Mr Rosedale is ubiquitous now.

Men like Rosedale, and their methods

of gaining fortunes

are at best questionable

at worst criminal.

To grow richer when people's

investments are shrinking

strikes me as being

in very bad taste.

But society still uses such men

if only obliquely.

If obliquity were a vice

we should all be tainted.

Only someone without family

could make such a vulgar remark.

Aunt Julia, you ARE my family.

Just as I thought -

I cannot teach the parlour maid

to draw the blinds down evenly.

- Will you see to it, Grace?

- Of course.

Jennings, we will take tea

in the upstairs sitting room.

Lily, you can read me the obituaries.

Oh, Aunt Julia

Grace does it so much better than me.

She can make even the most

insignificant death interesting.

I will see to the blinds.

Very well, you may join us later.

It's a Mrs Haffen, miss.

She won't say what she wants.

Do you want to see me?

I have something

you might like to see.

You have something belonging to me?

Not exactly.

I don't understand. If it

is not mine, then why are you here?

When I was working at the Benedick

I was in charge of cleaning

the gentlemen's rooms.

Most gentlemen are careful

about the letters they get -

burn them in winter

tear them into bits in summer.

But Mr Selden wasn't so particular.

I know nothing of these letters.

I have no idea

why you have brought them here.

To sell them.

I saw you coming out

of Mr Selden's rooms.

So I guessed they were

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