But neither contempt nor indignation helped him much. How was he to
answer Diana? He paced up and down for an hour considering it, then sat
down and wrote.
His letter ran as follows:
"DEAREST DIANA,--I asked you to be my wife, and I stand by my
word. I did not like to say too much about my mother's state
of mind when we were together yesterday, but I am afraid it
is very true that she will withdraw her present allowance to
me, and deprive me of the money which my father left. Most
unjustly, as it has always seemed to me, she has complete
control over it. Never mind. I must see what can be done. No
doubt my political career will be, for a time, much affected.
We must hope it will only be for a time.
"Ferrier and Sir James believe that my mother cannot maintain
her present attitude. But I do not, alack! share their
belief. I realize, as no one can who does not live in the
same house with her, the strength and obstinacy of her will.
She will, I suppose, leave my father's half-million to some
of the charitable societies in which she believes, and we
must try and behave as though it had never existed.
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