Phineas told himself that that game was also open to him. He,
too, might marry money. Violet Effingham had money;--quite enough to
make him independent were he married to her. And Madame Goesler had
money;--plenty of money. And an idea had begun to creep upon him that
Madame Goesler would take him were he to offer himself. But he would
sooner go back to the Bar as the lowest pupil, sooner clean boots for
barristers,--so he told himself,--than marry a woman simply because
she had money, than marry any other woman as long as there was a
chance that Violet might be won. But it was very desirable that he
should know whether Violet might be won or not. It was now July, and
everybody would be gone in another month. Before August would be over
he was to start for Ireland with Mr. Monk, and he knew that words
would be spoken in Ireland which might make it indispensable for
him to be, at any rate, able to throw up his office. In these days
he became more anxious than he used to be about Miss Effingham's
fortune.
He had never spoken as yet to Lord Brentford since the day on which
the Earl had quarrelled with him, nor had he ever been at the house
in Portman Square. Lady Laura he met occasionally, and had always
spoken to her. She was gracious to him, but there had been no renewal
of their intimacy.
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