'He is not sentimental,' said Mrs Penniman; 'but, to be perfectly fair to him, I think he has, in his own narrow way, a certain sense of duty.'

There passed through Morris Townsend's mind a rapid wonder as to what he might, even under a remote contingency, be indebted to from the action of this principle in Doctor Sloper's breast, and the inquiry exhausted itself in his sense of the ludicrous. 'Your brother has no duties to me,' he said presently, 'and I none to him.'

'Ah, but he has duties to Catherine.'

'Yes; but you see, on that principle Catherine has duties to him as well.'

Mrs Penniman got up with a melancholy sigh, as if she thought him very unimaginative. 'She has always performed them faithfully; and now do you think she has no duties to you?' Mrs Penniman always, even in conversation, italicized her personal pronouns.

'It would sound harsh to say so. I am so grateful for her love,' Morris added.

'I will tell her you said that. And now, remember that if you need me I am there.' And Mrs Penniman, who could think of nothing more to say, nodded vaguely in the direction of Washington Square.

Morris looked some moments at the sanded floor of the shop; he seemed to be disposed to linger a moment. At last, looking up with a certain abruptness, 'It is your belief that if she marries me he will cut her off?' he asked.

Mrs Penniman stared a little, and smiled. 'Why, I have explained to you what I think would happen - that in the end it would be the best thing to do.'

'You mean that, whatever she does, in the long-run she will get the money?'

'It doesn't depend upon her, but upon you. Venture to appear as disinterested as you are,' said Mrs Penniman, ingeniously. Morris dropped his eyes on the sanded floor again, pondering this, and she pursued: 'Mr Penniman and I had nothing, and we were very happy. Catherine, moreover, has her mother's fortune, which, at the time my sister-in-law married, was considered a very handsome one.

'Oh, don't speak of that!' said Morris; and indeed it was quite superfluous, for he had contemplated the fact in all its lights.

'Austin married a wife with money - why shouldn't you?' 'Ah! but your brother was a doctor,' Morris objected. 'Well, all young men can't be doctors.'

'I should think it an extremely loathsome profession,' said Morris, with an air of intellectual independence; then, in a moment, he went on rather inconsequently, 'Do you suppose there is a will already made in Catherine's favor?'

'I suppose so - even doctors must die; and perhaps a little in mine,' Mrs Penniman frankly added.

'And you believe he would certainly change it - as regards Catherine?'

'Yes; and then change it back again.'

'Ah, but one can't depend on that,' said Morris.

'Do you want to depend on it?' Mrs Penniman asked.

Morris blushed a little. 'Well, I am certainly afraid of being the cause of an injury to Catherine.'