– 'The girls must be helped,' said the Viscount firmly. – They are young and unmarried, and it will be hard for them to live on their own. What funds do they have?
– The Glowfords have a small garden to feed on. Sometimes the older sisters spin cloth and sell it, but it's a pittance: there's plenty of it in Walsingham. In the summer the girls work with the other peasants in the fields and in the autumn, they get their share of the harvest.
– What kind of harvest?
– Potatoes, sir.
– Potatoes only? – The Viscount was unpleasantly surprised.
– Alas, sir, it is so, but it will not be enough to feed us. The Glowfords subsist mostly on lean porridge and black bread, but sometimes the peasants share some food with them. The family has no livestock or poultry, so they hardly eat meat. At a wedding I attended in Walsingham, Miss Cassie was chewing something almost non-stop, and my heart burst at the sight of her.
– It's incredible! What a plight! I must help them. I can't bear the fact that there is a kingdom of poverty next to such a splendidly rich manor of Rivershold! But, Mr. Morris, all this has led me to a thought: the parson was absolutely opposed to Miss Cassandra's treatment-" And the Viscount, frowning, fell silent.
– 'That is true, sir, but where are you going with this? – the doctor wondered.
– Perhaps I can persuade Miss Catherine to let me take Cassie to London and treat her here," the noble lord finished his thought in a firm tone.
– For God's sake, sir! How can you think of such a thing now that the girls have lost their father? You can't use this tragic situation for your own good! It's inhuman! Just think of what these bright souls are going through! – Mr. Morris was indignant and not afraid to express his displeasure at the Viscount's intentions.
– You are quite right, Mr. Morris, it is low and cynical of me," he agreed, after carefully considering his conduct. – The girls should be given time to heal and rest.
– Exactly, sir, and in spite of your noble intentions, I am glad to be able to reason with you," said the doctor. These words did not hurt the Viscount's pride, for he had a high regard for the person of Mr. Morris, with whom the lord's late father had been a friend. – 'As far as I know, Miss Cassie was very much attached to her father. How she must be suffering, poor girl!