? ? ? ? 'What's the use of this?' he demanded.
? ? ? ? 'I can spare no more,' returned my aunt.
? ? ? ? 'Then I can't go,' said he. 'Here! You may take it back!'
? ? ? ? 'You bad man,' returned my aunt, with great emotion; 'how can you use me so? But why do I ask? It is because you know how weak I am! What have I to do, to free myself for ever of your visits, but to abandon you to your deserts?'
? ? ? ? 'And why don't you abandon me to my deserts?' said he.
? ? ? ? 'You ask me why!' returned my aunt. 'What a heart you must have!'
? ? ? ? He stood moodily rattling the money, and shaking his head, until at length he said:
? ? ? ? 'Is this all you mean to give me, then?'
? ? ? ? 'It is all I CAN give you,' said my aunt. 'You know I have had losses, and am poorer than I used to be. I have told you so. Having got it, why do you give me the pain of looking at you for another moment, and seeing what you have become?'
? ? ? ? 'I have become shabby enough, if you mean that,' he said. 'I lead the life of an owl.'
? ? ? ? 'You stripped me of the greater part of all I ever had,' said my aunt. 'You closed my heart against the whole world, years and years.
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