Anthony Trollope: The Belton Estate

20. CHAPTER XX: WILLIAM BELTON DOES NOT GO OUT HUNTING (continued)

Belton did as he was told; he pulled off his coat and sat himself down by the fire. 'I don't know that you can do anything to help me at least, not as yet. But I must go and see after her. Perhaps she may be all alone.'

'I suppose she is all alone.'

'He hasn't gone down, then?'

'Who Captain Aylmer? No he hasn't gone down, certainly. He is in Yorkshire.'

'I'm glad of that!'

'He won't hurry himself. He never does, I fancy. I had a letter from him this morning about Miss Amedroz.'

'And what did he say?'

'He desired me to send her seventy-five pounds the interest of her aunt's money.'

'Seventy-five pounds!' said Will Belton, contemptuously.

'He thought she might want money at once; and I sent her the cheque today. It will go down by the same train that carries you.'

'Seventy-five pounds! And you are sure that he has not gone himself?'

'It isn't likely that he should have written to me, and passed through London himself, at the same time but it is possible, no doubt. I don't think he even knew the old squire; and there is no reason why he should go to the funeral.'

'No reason at all,' said Belton who felt that Captain Aylmer's presence at the Castle would be an insult to himself. 'I don't know what on earth he should do there except that I think him just the fellow to intrude where he is not wanted.' And yet Will was in his heart despising Captain Aylmer because he had not already hurried down to the assistance of the girl whom he professed to love.