His retiring pension and allowances, it is well known, die with him.
Four hundred a year is therefore all that he can leave to the Countess,
if he leaves her a widow.'

'Four hundred a year is not all,' was the reply to this.
'My brother has insured his life for ten thousand pounds;
and he has settled the whole of it on the Countess, in the event
of his death.'

This announcement produced a strong sensation. Men looked at each other,
and repeated the three startling words, 'Ten thousand pounds!'
Driven fairly to the wall, the lawyer made a last effort to defend
his position.

'May I ask who made that settlement a condition of the marriage?'
he said. 'Surely it was not the Countess herself?.'

Henry Westwick answered, 'it was the Countess's brother'; and added,
'which comes to the same thing.'

After that, there was no more to be said--so long, at least,
as Montbarry's brother was present. The talk flowed into other channels;
and the Doctor went home.

But his morbid curiosity about the Countess was not set at rest yet.
In his leisure moments he found himself wondering whether Lord
Montbarry's family would succeed in stopping the marriage after all.
And more than this, he was conscious of a growing desire to see
the infatuated man himself. Every day during the brief interval before
the wedding, he looked in at the club, on the chance of hearing some news.