I
liked you better than I liked poor Fred; and that's the truth."
Lionel made no reply, and John Massingbird smoked for a few minutes in
silence. Presently he began again.
"I say, what made you go and marry Sibylla?"
Lionel lifted his eyes. But John Massingbird resumed, before he had time
to speak.
"She's not worth a button. Now you need not fly out, old chap. I am not
passing my opinion on your wife; wouldn't presume to do such a thing;
but on my cousin. Surely I may find fault with my cousin, if I like! Why
did you marry her?"
"Why does anybody else marry?" returned Lionel.
"But why did you marry _her_? A sickly, fractious thing! I saw enough of
her in the old days. There! be quiet! I have done. If it hadn't been for
her, I'd have asked you to come here to your old home; you and I should
jog along together first-rate. But Sibylla bars it. She may be a model
of a wife; I don't insinuate to the contrary, take you note, Mr. Verner;
but she's not exactly a model of temper, and Verner's Pride wouldn't be
big enough to hold her and me. Would you have taken up your abode with
me, had you been a free man?"
"I cannot tell," replied Lionel.
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