"
"Ah," rejoined Madame Merle, "those are the greatest strokes!"
Mrs. Touchett reserved her opinion. "The girl's fortunate; I don't
deny that. But for the present she's simply stupefied."
"Do you mean that she doesn't know what to do with the money?"
"That, I think, she has hardly considered. She doesn't know what
to think about the matter at all. It has been as if a big gun were
suddenly fired off behind her; she's feeling herself to see if she
be hurt. It's but three days since she received a visit from the
principal executor, who came in person, very gallantly, to notify her.
He told me afterwards that when he had made his little speech she
suddenly burst into tears. The money's to remain in the affairs of the
bank, and she's to draw the interest."
Madame Merle shook her head with a wise and now quite benignant
smile. "How very delicious! After she has done that two or three times
she'll get used to it." Then after a silence, "What does your son
think of it?" she abruptly asked.
"He left England before the will was read- used up by his fatigue
and anxiety and hurrying off to the south. He's on his way to the
Riviera and I've not yet heard from him.
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