By this time Francis Wing, who was a most
handsome, well-bred, and plausible villain, was desperately in love with
her--if one can use the word love for such a passion. He began to lend
her money in small sums. She was induced to look upon him as her only
friend, and forced by the mere terror of the situation in which she
found herself to propitiate and play him as best she might. One day, in
an unguarded moment of remorse, she let him guess what had happened
about the trust money. Thenceforward she was wholly in his power. He
pressed his attentions upon her; and she, alternately civil and
repellent, as her mood went, was regarded by some of the guests in the
house as not unlikely to respond to them in the end. Meanwhile he had
told his wife the secret of the trust money for his own purposes. Lady
Wing, who was an extremely jealous woman, believed at this time that he
was merely pretending a passion for Mrs. Sparling in order the more
securely to plunder what still remained of the six thousand pounds. She
therefore aided and abetted him; and _her_ plan, no doubt, was to wait
till they and their accomplices had absorbed the last of Mrs.
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