"My aunt Maria? I guess he isn't!" Maria left Gladys with an offended
strut. However, she reflected on Aunt Maria's pompadour. A great
indignation seized her. After this she treated Aunt Maria stiffly,
and she watched both her and her father.

There was surely nothing in Harry Edgham's behaviour to warrant a
belief that he contemplated marrying his deceased wife's sister.
Sometimes he even, although in a kindly fashion, poked fun at her, in
Maria's presence. But Aunt Maria never knew it; she was, in fact,
impervious to that sort of thing. But Maria came to be quite sure
that Aunt Maria had designs on her father. She observed that she
dressed much better than she had ever done; she observed the fairly
ostentatious attention which she bestowed upon her brother-in-law,
and also upon herself, when he was present. She even used to caress
Maria, in her wooden sort of way, when Harry was by to see. Once
Maria repulsed her roughly. "I don't like to be kissed and fussed
over," said she.

"You mustn't speak so to your aunt," said Harry, when Aunt Maria had
gone out of the room. "I don't know what we should have done without
her."

"You pay her, don't you, father?" asked Maria.

"Yes, I pay her," said Harry, "but that does not alter the fact that
she has done a great deal which money could not buy."

Maria gazed at her father with suspicion, which he did not recognize.